Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Food

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Generously grease an 8 inch round cake pan (can use a 9 inch round cake pan if that's what you have) with butter. Coat the pan with some gluten free flour blend to prevent sticking.
• Place 1/2 cup of unsalted hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse until they are finely ground. Alternately, you can place the hazelnuts in a plastic Ziploc bag and pound with a rolling pin if you don't have a food processor.
• In a mixing bowl, combine 1 scant cup gluten free flour blend (this equals 120 grams and can be measured with a kitchen scale), ½ cup finely chopped hazelnuts, 2 tsp. baking powder, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt. Mix all of these ingredients together.
• In a separate bowl, cream 4 Tbsp. of room temperature unsalted butter and 1 cup of sugar using a hand mixer or the whisk attachment of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Add 2 eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, mixing until the mixture is light and fluffy after each egg is added.
• Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture a little at a time. Add some of the flour, mix together, and repeat until it is completely combined. The batter is thick and dense.
• Spread the batter evenly in pan and bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clear. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
• Brew one cup of coffee or espresso and allow to cool.
• Heat a small amount of water in a double boiler (the water should be hot, but not boiling). Place 2 oz. of semisweet baking chocolate in the boiler and allow to melt, stirring the chocolate with a spatula to prevent burning.
• Add 1 ½ Tbsp. unsalted butter to the chocolate and stir until the butter has melted and incorporated into the chocolate. Pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl and allow to cool.
• Once the chocolate has cooled, beat the mixture with a hand mixer or the whisk attachment of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer until smooth. This may take a few minutes.
• Add 2 Tbsp. of cooled coffee and 1 Tbsp. Frangelico liqueur to the mixture. Continue to beat with a mixer until it is spreadable.
• Remove cake from pan and place on a cake platter or large plate (you may need to run knife along sides of pan to remove). Spread the chocolate frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake.
• Add 1/2 cup roughly chopped unsalted hazelnuts on top of the cake.

HAZELNUT CRUNCH CAKE WITH MASCARPONE AND CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• For the cake:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions. Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans and bake according to package instructions. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
• For the crunch:
• Place the toasted nuts close together in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the sugar mixture until dissolved. Bring to a boil and let cook until the sugar is light brown, about 8 minutes. Let the bubbles subside then pour the caramelized sugar over the nuts. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let the sugar nut mixture cool until hard, about 30 minutes. When the sugar nut mixture is hard and cool, top with another piece of parchment paper and pound into small pieces, or place the sugar nut mixture on a cutting board and cut into small pieces. Set aside.
• For the filling:
• Put the mascarpone cheese, cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer whip the cream mixture to soft peaks. Fold the Crunch mixture into the whipped cream.
• For the topping:
• Place the chocolate, sugar and zest in a food processor. Process the mixture until the chocolate is finely ground.
• To assemble the cake:
• Put 1 cake on a serving plate. Top with 1-inch of the whipped cream crunch mixture. Top with the second layer of cake and continue frosting the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream crunch mixture. Sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with the ground chocolate. Serve.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT TARTUFO

Steps:

• Combine milk, cream, and 1/3 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat; stir until the sugar dissolves, about 3 to 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar until the egg yolks are light in color, about 4 minutes. Stir 1/2 cup of the milk mixture into the egg yolks, then pour all of the egg mixture into the saucepan, stirring continuously. Cook, stirring continuously, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Add the chocolate hazelnut spread, espresso powder, and vanilla, stirring until well combined. Pour through a mesh strainer into a bowl. Refrigerate several hours until cold.
• Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer gelato into an airtight container and place in freezer until solid.
• To make the tartufo: Scoop 4-ounce portions of gelato and form into balls using your hands. Poke a hole in each ball and place 1 cherry in each, cover with gelato, and place on a baking sheet. Roll gelato balls in the grated chocolate until coated and return to the freezer until ready to serve. Serve with whipped topping, if desired.

TORTA ALLA GIANDUIA (CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• Prepare a 9-inch springform pan: grease and line with parchment or wax paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs whites and salt until stiff but not dry (this means that they will hold their peaks, yet still appear glossy and smooth).
• In a separate bowl, beat the butter and Nutella together, then add Frangelico (or what you have chosen to use), egg yolks, and ground hazelnuts.
• Fold in the cooled, melted chocolate, then lighten the mixture with a dollop of egg white, which you can beat in as roughly as you want, before gently folding the rest of them in a third at a time.
• Pour into the prepared pan and cook for 40 minutes or until the cake's beginning to come away at the sides, then let cool on rack.
• Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan until the aroma wafts upward and the nuts are golden brown in parts: keep shaking the pan so they don't burn on one side and stay too pallid on others.
• Transfer to a plate and let cool.
• This is imperative: if they go on the ganache while hot, it'll turn oily (believe me I speak from experience).
• In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, add the cream, liquer or water, and chopped chocolate and heat gently.
• Once the chocolate's melted, take the pan off the heat and whisk until it reaches the right consistency to ice just the top of the cake.
• Unmold the cooled cake carefully, leaving it on the base as it will be too difficult to get such a damp cake off in one piece.
• Ice the top with the chocolate icing, and dot thickly with the whole, toasted hazelnuts.
• If you have used Frangelico, put shot glasses on the table and serve it with the cake.

HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare the springform pan by coating it in a thin layer with 2 tablespoons of the softened butter. Add the cocoa powder to the pan and tap the sides to coat the bottom and sides evenly. Discard any excess cocoa powder. Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven on the center rack until just fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer immediately to a kitchen towel to stop them from cooking. Use the towel to rub off the skins. Set aside to cool. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Fill a 1- to 2-quart pot with about 1 inch of water and bring it to a bare simmer over medium heat. Place the dark chocolate pieces into a heatproof bowl and set it over the pot and simmering water (this is a bain-marie). The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Let the chocolate melt, and then stir gently. Remove from the heat when melted.
• Chop the hazelnuts into small pieces using a chef's knife or a food processor. Make sure you don't turn them into powder. Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer with the salt until they are almost at stiff peaks. Try not to over-whip. Mix together the remaining 5 tablespoons butter with the chocolate hazelnut spread in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir in the espresso. Add the yolks and stir briskly to combine. Stir in the chopped hazelnuts and melted chocolate. Add one-fourth of the whipped egg whites to the chocolate hazelnut mixture and stir to lighten the batter. Then gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the batter in 3 additions. Don't over-fold. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake on the center rack of the oven until the sides of the cake start releasing from edges of the pan, 40 minutes. This cake is almost a hazelnut fudge, so no need to poke with a toothpick to check if the inside is ready or not. The cake will come out of the oven nice and fluffy and souffled, but it will deflate to half the size during its cool-off period. Serve garnished with some powdered sugar and whipped or cream or gelato, if using.

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in mascarpone cheese, sour cream, lime juice and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour into crust. Place on a baking sheet., Bake 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack., Meanwhile, for topping, place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chips; stir with a whisk until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature or until mixture thickens to a spreading consistency, stirring occasionally., Spread chocolate mixture over pie; refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, top with hazelnuts.

ITALIAN-STYLE CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Crust:.
• Combine all ingredients, then press onto bottom of springform pan.
• Filling:.
• Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle.
• Melt chocolate with butter, then remove from heat and whisk in cream cheese until smooth. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla.
• Whisk together eggs and sugar in a large bowl until mixture has a mousse-like consistency, then stir in chocolate mixture and nuts.
• Pour filling into crust and bake 1 1/2 hours. (Top will be slightly cracked.)
• Cool to room temperature in pan on a rack, about 1 hour, then chill at least 1 hour. (Cake will sink slightly.).