Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse Recipes

Steps:

• For the mousse: Fill a small saucepot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Put chocolate, butter and salt into a heat-resistant medium bowl and place the bowl on top of the pot. When the chocolate has melted, about 5 minutes, stir it with a spatula to blend. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Whisk the egg yolks and vanilla into the cooled chocolate; the mixture will thicken as it cools.
• In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• In a separate bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until frothy. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• Using a spatula, fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture in batches and gently blend until no streaks remain. Next, fold in the whipped cream in batches until blended.
• Spoon a heaping 1/4 cup of the mousse into six 4-ounce ramekins or serving cups. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
• For the whipped cream: Using an electric mixer, whip the cream until frothy. Add the sugar and liqueur and beat until stiff peaks form.
• To serve, spoon a dollop of whipped cream onto the mousse and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts and shaved chocolate.

Steps:

• Whisk milk and pudding mix in a large bowl for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft set. Whisk in Nutella until smooth. Fold in whipped topping., Spoon into 6 dessert dishes. Chill until serving. Garnish servings with additional whipped topping.

Steps:

• Bake pastry shells according to package directions. Cool completely., In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form., In another bowl, beat mascarpone cheese, Nutella and cinnamon until blended. Fold in whipped cream and chocolate chips. Spoon into pastry shells. If desired, drizzle with melted chocolate. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Refrigerate until serving.

Steps:

• 1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the hazelnuts on a small baking tray and bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes, turning the tray back to front after 5 or 6 minutes. Cool. Enclose the nuts in a clean towel and rub until as much of the skins as possible come off.
• 2. Place the nuts and hazelnut oil in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until a paste forms.
• 3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using a whisk or eggbeater, whip the heavy cream. Refrigerate, covered, until needed.
• 4. In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Turn off the heat when almost melted and stir occasionally until completely melted. Scrape into the nut paste and process until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
• 5. In a clean medium heatproof bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks.

Steps:

• Combine the heavy cream and espresso granules in a small mixing bowl. Stir until dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Add the espresso mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer, along with the chocolate-hazelnut spread. Mix with the whisk attachment on medium for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and continue beating until very soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Garnish with the toasted hazelnuts and whipped cream and serve.
• Cook's Note: I also often garnish this with some sliced bananas for my nephews.

Steps:

• Grind hazelnuts with 1 tablespoon sugar in processor until mixture forms paste. Melt chocolate in small metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from over water.
• Whisk egg yolks, 2 tablespoons water, Frangelico and 2 tablespoons sugar in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over same saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until thick ribbons form when whisk is lifted and thermometer inserted into mixture registers 160°F, about 6 minutes. Cool mixture slightly. Fold in chocolate and hazelnut paste.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and pinch of salt in large bowl until soft peaks form. Stir remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons water in very small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until thermometer inserted into mixture registers 220°F, about 4 minutes. Gradually add hot syrup to whites, beating until firm peaks form and whites are cool. Fold into chocolate mixture in 2 additions.
• Beat 1/2 cup whipping cream in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into mousse. Spoon mousse into 4 goblets, dividing equally. Chill mousse at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Garnish each serving with whipped cream and toasted hazelnuts.

Steps:

• Make shortbread base:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide shortbread base off bottom), then lock on side of pan and line bottom with a round of parchment paper.
• Pulse hazelnuts with sugar in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped. Add flour, butter, cocoa, and salt and pulse just until a dough forms.
• Press dough evenly onto bottom of springform pan with your fingers. Prick all over with a fork, then bake until just dry to the touch, about 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer base in pan to a rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Remove side of pan and carefully slide out parchment from under shortbread, then reattach side of pan around shortbread base.
• Make mousse while shortbread cools:
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat, stirring, just until gelatin is melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk in chocolate hazelnut spread until combined and remove from heat.
• Whisk together mascarpone and chocolate hazelnut mixture in a large bowl. Beat together cream, cocoa powder, and sugar in another large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until just combined, then increase speed to high and beat until cream just holds soft peaks. Whisk one third of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whipped cream until well combined. Spoon filling onto shortbread base in pan, gently smoothing top, then chill, covered, at least 3 hours.
• Make ganache and glaze cake:
• Bring cream to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan and remove from heat. Add chocolate and let stand 1 minute, then gently whisk until completely melted and smooth. Transfer ganache to a small bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened but still pourable, about 20 minutes.
• Run a warm thin knife around inside of springform pan, then remove side. Slide cake off bottom of pan and transfer to a serving plate. Pour ganache onto top of cake and spread, allowing excess ganache to drip down sides.

Steps:

• With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk cream until soft peaks form. Transfer to refrigerator; chill for 1 hour.
• In a clean mixing bowl, and with a clean whisk, beat yolks on high speed until pale and frothy. Meanwhile, bring sugar, corn syrup, and water to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Continue boiling for about 1 minute. With mixer on medium-low speed, carefully pour hot syrup down side of bowl. Beat on medium-high speed until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Beat in hazelnut praline paste. Stir in chocolate, vanilla, and a pinch of salt with a flexible spatula.
• Add one-third of the chocolate mixture to whipped cream; whisk to combine. Add remaining chocolate mixture, fold to completely combined. Pass through a coarse sieve into a large bowl; discard any solids.
• Transfer mousse to a disposable pastry bag or large plastic bag. Using scissors, snip a small hole in bottom of the bag or from one of the corners of the plastic bag. Pipe mousse into chocolate cups to fill; serve garnished with hazelnuts and shaved chocolate.

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Arrange the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Lay a tea towel out flat and transfer the hot toasted nuts onto it. Fold the edges of the towel over to cover the nuts and gently roll them to loosen the skins. Reserve about 1/4 cup nuts for the garnish and transfer the rest to the bowl of a food processor. Process the nuts, scraping the sides down, until a smooth paste forms, about 2 minutes.
• In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until smooth. Add the liqueur and chocolate and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs. In a medium pot over moderate heat, combine the nut paste, the milk, and sugar. Warm to just below the boiling point, then slowly whisk a few splashes of the hot milk into the beaten eggs. Add the warmed egg mixture to the pot and return to moderately low heat. Stir constantly, until it thickens and holds a slight ribbon when stirred, about 2 minutes.
• Pour the hot egg-milk mixture into the bowl with the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Nest the bowl in an ice water bath and stir until cool but still easy to stir, 5 to 8 minutes. (Or, chill the mixture in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally, until cool, about 45 minutes.)
• Using a large wire whisk or an electric mixer, whip the cream until it holds distinct peaks. Fold about one-third of the cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining two-thirds until just incorporated. Transfer the mousse to individual dishes or 1 large serving dish and chill, loosely covered, at least 1 hour. Before serving, roughly chop the reserved 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts and use them to garnish each portion.
• The MOUSSE can be prepared and refrigerated, loosely covered, up to 1 day ahead.

Steps:

• Make the crust: Add the crispy rice cereal to a zip-top bag, seal, and crush into crumbs with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a large bowl.
• In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate chips and butter. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute total.
• Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the cereal crumbs and stir to combine.
• Grease 9½-inch (24-centimeter) pie dish with nonstick spray. Pour the crust mixture into the dish and press into an even layer against the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
• Chill in the refrigerator while you make the mousse.
• Make the chocolate hazelnut mousse: Microwave the chocolate hazelnut spread for 30 seconds. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the cold heavy cream with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and beat to incorporate.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold the warm chocolate hazelnut spread into the whipped cream until incorporated.
• Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour in the mousse. Spread in an even layer.
• Cover the pie with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
• Make the crispy rice topping: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add the sugar to a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook without stirring for 1-2 minutes, until the sugar begins to caramelize. Swirl it around in the pan to help caramelize evenly.
• Once the sugar is light amber in color, reduce the heat to low and add the butter. Use a rubber spatula to stir until the butter is melted, then turn off the heat. Add the crispy rice cereal and toasted hazelnuts and quickly stir to coat.
• Transfer the topping to the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt. Use two forks to separate the mixture into smaller chunks, being careful not to touch the hot sugar with your hands. Let cool completely, about 15 minutes. The topping can be made 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container once cooled.
• When ready to serve, remove the pie from the freezer. Decorate the top with the crispy rice topping. Let the pie sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife. Warm the blade in hot water and wipe between each cut for clean slices.
• Enjoy!