Gianduia Hearts Recipes

Steps:

• Line an 8-in. square dish with foil. Place hazelnuts and oil in a food processor; cover and process until mixture forms a paste. , In a large saucepan, melt bittersweet chocolate. Stir in 2-1/4 cups hazelnut mixture. Pour half of mixture into prepared dish. Refrigerate until firm., Melt candy bars; stir in remaining hazelnut mixture. Pour over bittersweet layer. Refrigerate until firm., Reheat remaining bittersweet mixture if necessary; pour over candy bar layer. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into 1-in. squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts out on small baking sheet or in an ovenproof skillet and toast them in the oven until they are a deep toasty brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the hazelnuts from the oven and set aside to cool completely.Melt the chocolate in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pot of simmering water over medium-low heat, stirring often.If serving the Gianduia immediately, place your bread in a 350 degrees F oven for 12 minutes.
• Grind the hazelnuts with the sugar in a food processor to a fairly smooth, buttery paste.
• Once the chocolate is completely melted, remove it from the heat and whisk in the cream and butter. Stir in the ground hazelnuts. The gianduia will thicken and become soft and peanut butter-like as it cools. Pour the mixture into small jars, or store in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
• Serve the gianduia with rustic slices of buttered toast.

Steps:

• Pulse hazelnuts with sugar and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a heavy medium saucepan with milk and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 20 minutes.
• Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then return to cleaned saucepan.
• Put 1/4 cup milk mixture in a small bowl and whisk in cornstarch. Return to saucepan, then boil over medium heat 2 minutes, whisking often (mixture will be thick). Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until melted and incorporated. Chill, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours.
• Freeze mixture in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spread each of the brownies with 1 tablespoon of nutella. Sprinkle each of the brownies with 1 tablespoon chopped hazelnuts. Top the nuts with 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips. Place the brownies on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the chocolate is starting to melt. Transfer the brownies to the refrigerator and let cool until the chocolate hardens, about one hour.

Steps:

• Stir milk chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until melted and smooth. Remove chocolate from over water. Whisk in Nutella and chopped hazelnuts.
• Stir bittersweet chocolate in another medium metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until chocolate melts and candy thermometer registers 110°F. (chocolate will feel warm to touch). Remove from over water. Using 1-inch-wide pastry brush, coat insides of candy cups with just enough chocolate to cover. Rewarm chocolate as necessary to maintain temperature. Place cups on baking sheet. Chill until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Spoon enough hazelnut mixture into center of each chocolate cup to fill to within 1/8 inch of top (about 1 heaping teaspoonful in each cup). Refrigerate until filling sets, about 15 minutes.
• Rewarm remaining melted bittersweet chocolate in bowl set over barely simmering water to 110°F. Spoon enough chocolate over filling to cover and to fill cups completely. Immediately top each with whole nut. Refrigerate cups until firm, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead; refrigerate in single layer in airtight container.) Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan and line with plastic wrap, allowing a 2-inch overhang.
• Toast and skin hazelnuts. In a food processor pulse hazelnuts until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Chop chocolates into 1/4-inch pieces, reserving 1 slightly mounded tablespoon bittersweet chocolate for tempering. In a double boiler or a metal pan set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt three fourths of chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and add remaining chocolate in 2 or 3 batches, stirring until smooth and allowing each batch to melt before adding next.
• When all of chocolate is melted, test its temperature: Put a dab of chocolate on the inside of your lower lip; it should be slightly cooler than your body temperature. If chocolate is too warm, add reserved chocolate, stirring until smooth.
• Stir hazelnuts and hazelnut butter into chocolate until combined well and spread mixture in pan. Chill confection, covered with plastic wrap, until firm, at least 2 hours. Lift confection out of pan and peel off plastic wrap. On a cutting board with a sharp large knife cut confection lengthwise into 1-inch strips and cut strips crosswise into 1-inch squares. Chocolates keep, covered and chilled, 1 month.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F and butter a 10-inch springform pan. Wrap bottom and side of pan with a large piece of heavy-duty foil to waterproof.
• Chop chocolates into small pieces and melt in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and stir in Nutella and hazelnut butter until combined well.
• In a large bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer beat eggs until frothy, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, beating mixture at high speed until thick and pale and it holds a slowly dissolving ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes if using a standing mixer and about 8 minutes if using a hand-held mixer. Pour chocolate mixture into egg mixture and stir until combined well. In a chilled bowl beat cream until it holds soft peaks and fold into batter gently but thoroughly.
• Pour batter into springform pan and put springform pan in a roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to reach halfway up side of springform pan. Bake cake in middle of oven 1 hour and 10 minutes. Turn off oven and let cake stand in oven 40 minutes. Remove springform pan from water and cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Remove side of pan from cake. Let cake cool completely before serving.
• Serve cake with whipped cream. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Cake served at room temperature will have a texture reminiscent of mousse; chilled cake will be more fudgelike.
• Available at specialty foods shops and many supermarkets.
• ** Available for purchase from Dundee Orchards, P.O. Box 327, Dundee, OR 97115, (503) 538-8105.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. and butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour.
• Toast and skin hazelnuts (procedure this page). In a food processor pulse hazelnuts until coarsely ground (bits should be about 1/8 inch).
• Chop chocolates into small pieces and in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolates with butter and Nutella, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat.
• While chocolates are melting, into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and a pinch salt. Whisk sugar into chocolate mixture until combined well. Add eggs, whisking until mixture is glossy and smooth. Stir in flour mixture and hazelnuts until just combined.
• Pour batter into baking pan and bake in middle of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out with moist crumbs adhering to it. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack and cut into 16 squares. Brownies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature, 5 days.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan heat sugar and 2 tablespoons water over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally and brushing down the sides of the saucepan with a damp pastry brush, until the sugar dissolves and comes to a boil. Cook until caramel mixture becomes golden amber in color.
• Meanwhile, gently warm 1 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour warmed cream over caramel and add star anise and orange zest. Remove from heat and cover; let stand for 10 minutes. Soak gelatin sheet in very cold water, until softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove lid from saucepan, return to low heat, and whisk egg yolk into caramel mixture. Squeeze gelatin to remove excess water and add to caramel mixture; continue whisking until mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and whisk in the gianduja; strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl.
• Divide mixture between six 3-ounce glass cups; transfer to a refrigerator and chill until set, 2 to 3 hours.
• To serve, garnish cream with whipped cream, hazelnuts, and honey.

Steps:

• Toast and skin hazelnuts. In a food processor pulse hazelnuts with sugar until finely ground. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together flour, hazelnut mixture, and a pinch salt until combined well. Cut butter into small pieces and at a low speed beat into flour mixture until mixture just forms a dough. Turn dough out onto a work surface and gather into a ball.
• Halve dough and roll out each half between sheets of wax paper into a 13-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). Remove top sheet of wax paper from each round and with a 2-inch heart-shaped cutter cut out hearts, leaving all of dough on wax paper. (Do not remove any cut-outs from dough; keep hearts intact on wax paper. Replace top sheet of wax paper and stack dough on baking sheet. Chill dough until firm, at least 15 minutes, and up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 350° F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• With a metal spatula lift hearts from wax paper and arrange about 1 inch apart on lined baking sheets. Reroll scraps and make and chill more hearts in same manner.
• Bake hearts in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 12 minutes total. Transfer hearts to racks to cool completely. Cookies may be made up to this point 3 days ahead and kept in airtight containers at room temperature.
• Chop chocolates into small pieces and in a bowl combine with hazelnut butter. In a small saucepan bring cream to a simmer and immediately remove pan from heat. Stir hot cream into chocolate mixture until filling is smooth. Chill filling until slightly firm, about 15 minutes. On a work surface arrange half of hearts bottom sides up. Spread about 1 tablespoon filling on each, covering surface evenly, and top with remaining hearts, bottom sides down. Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container and chilled, 1 day.
• Or available for purchase from Dundee Orchards, P.O. Box 327, Dundee, OR 97115, (503) 538-8105