Caramel Dipped Hazelnuts Recipes

HAZELNUT-CARAMEL BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; butter parchment. In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat 1 stick butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar on medium-high until light, 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt and beat on low until combined. Increase speed to medium and beat until clumps form. Press dough evenly into pan. Bake until golden and dry, about 20 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees.
• In a medium saucepan, combine corn syrup, cream, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining stick butter and 2/3 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute. Stir in nuts, then pour over crust.
• Bake until bubbling in center, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate, if desired. Let cool 1 hour. Using parchment, lift out of pan and refrigerate until set, 1 hour. Cut into 24 pieces. (Store in an airtight container, up to 2 days.)

CARAMEL-DIPPED HAZELNUTS (MARTHA STEWART)

Steps:

• 1. Gently insert pointed end of a long wooden skewer into the side of each hazelnut. Place a cutting board along the edge of a countertop; place newspaper on the floor, directly under cutting board. Prepare an ice-water bath. Heat sugar and the water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and syrup is clear. Stop stirring; cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Continue to boil, gently swirling occasionally, until medium amber. Plunge pan into ice bath to stop the cooking; let stand until thickened, about 10 minutes. (To test: Dip a skewer in caramel and lift a few inches; if a thick drip slowly forms and holds a string, the caramel is ready.) Dip a skewered hazelnut into caramel, letting excess drip back into pan. When dripping syrup becomes a thin string, secure opposite end of skewer under cutting board. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. (If caramel hardens before all hazelnuts have been dipped, rewarm it over low heat.) Let stand until caramel string has hardened, about 5 minutes; break each string to desired length. Carefully remove skewers. Candied hazelnuts should be used the same day; store, uncovered, at room temperature until ready to serve cupcakes.

CARAMEL-HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Wrap foil tightly around outside of 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Blend hazelnuts and sugar in food processor until nuts are finely ground. Add melted butter; blend until moist clumps form. Press nut mixture onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan.
• For filling:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Pour filling over crust. Bake until cheesecake puffs and is set around sides but center still moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Cool cake completely. Remove foil from pan. Cover with plastic and chill overnight.
• For caramel sauce:
• Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Boil sauce until reduced to 2 cups, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cool. Spoon 1/2 cup caramel sauce evenly over top of cheesecake, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Arrange additional hazelnuts decoratively around outside edge of cake. Cover and refrigerate cheesecake until topping sets, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep cheesecake refrigerated. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce.) Release pan sides from cheesecake. Transfer cake to platter. Rewarm remaining sauce just until pourable but not warm. Slice cheesecake. Serve, passing sauce separately.

CANDIED-HAZELNUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Using an offset spatula, spread frosting over each cupcake. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature and top with caramel-dipped hazelnuts just before serving.
• Caramel-Dipped Hazelnuts
• Gently insert pointed end of a long wooden skewer into the side of each hazelnut. Place a cutting board along the edge of a counter-top; place newspaper on the floor, directly under cutting board.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Heat sugar and the water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and syrup is clear. Stop stirring; cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Continue to boil, gently swirling occasionally, until medium amber. Plunge pan into ice bath to stop the cooking; let stand until thickened, about 10 minutes. (To test: Dip a skewer in caramel and lift a few inches; if a thick drip slowly forms and holds a string, the caramel is ready.)
• Dip a skewered hazelnut into caramel, letting excess drip back into pan. When dripping syrup becomes a thin string, secure opposite end of skewer under cutting board. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. (If caramel hardens before all hazelnuts have been dipped, rewarm it over low heat.) Let stand until caramel string has hardened, about 5 minutes; break each string to desired length. Carefully remove skewers. Candied hazelnuts should be used the same day; store, uncovered, at room temperature until ready to serve cupcakes.

HAZELNUT CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line 9-inch square baking pan with 2-inch high sides with heavy-duty aluminum foil, extending foil over sides of pan. Butter foil.
• Melt 1 cup of butter in heavy large saucepan over low heat. Add both sugars, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk and stir until sugar dissolves. Scape seeds from vanilla into mixture; add bean. Attach clip-on candy thermometer to side of saucepan. Increase heat to medium and bring mixture to a boil. Cook mixture 8 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Using tongs, remove vanilla bean and discard. Continue cooking until candy thermometer registers 242°F, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes longer. Immediately remove from heat; stir in hazelnuts. Quickly pour caramel into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Cool until firm, about 1 hour.
• Using buttered heavy large knife, score 8 lines lengthwise to depth of 1/4 inch in caramel, then score 8 lines crosswise. Using aluminum foil as aid, lift caramel out of pan. Using same buttered heavy large knife, cut caramel on scored lines into pieces. Wrap each piece of caramel in cellophane. (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Store caramels in airtight containers.)

SALTED DARK CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CARAMEL TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Heat hazelnut spread in metal bowl over saucepan of gently simmering water and stir until hazelnut spread is warm, smooth, and easily stirred, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from heat.
• Dissolve sugar in water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Brush sides of pan with a moistened pastry brush occasionally as sugar mixture cooks. Increase heat to medium-high and bring syrup to a boil and cook until syrup is a deep amber color, brushing down sides and swirling saucepan occasionally to prevent scorching, about 4 minutes.
• Pour cream into the syrup while stirring. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring continually, until you have a smooth caramel, 5 to 10 minutes; gently stir into the melted hazelnut spread with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt.
• Refrigerate caramel mixture until firm, at least 3 hours.
• Spread cocoa powder into the bottom of a wide, shallow bowl.
• Scoop caramel mixture with a melon baller into 1 tablespoon portions; roll in the cocoa powder to coat; arrange onto a baking sheet.
• Cover truffle balls with plastic wrap and chill overnight or 8 hours.
• Line a 13x9x2-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Heat chopped chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring frequently until chocolate is melted and smooth and the chocolate reaches a temperature of 115 degrees F (46 degrees c). Remove bowl from over water.
• Working quickly, submerge each truffle ball in the melted chocolate. Lift truffles from chocolate with a fork and tap fork against side of bowl to remove excess coating. Transfer truffle to foil-lined pan to cool. Repeat with remaining truffle balls.
• Sprinkle finished truffles lightly with 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt before the chocolate hardens. Let stand until coating sets completely, at least 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE, HAZELNUT & SALTED CARAMEL TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, whizz the hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add the flour, icing sugar and butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and 1-2 tbsp cold water, and pulse until the dough comes together. Tip the dough out and flatten into a disc, then wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to line a 23cm loose-bottomed, deep tart tin. Trim the edges and prick the base with a fork, then line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 20 mins, then carefully remove the baking beans and parchment and bake for a further 5-10 mins until light golden. Allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the salted caramel. Tip the sugar into a small pan, add 1-2 tbsp water and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat and cook until the sugar turns to an ambercoloured caramel. Reduce the heat and add the butter, cream and golden syrup, and stir until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and add the salt. Allow to cool for a few mins, then spread onto the tart base. Scatter with chopped hazelnuts and set aside.
• For the chocolate filling, melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolk and caster sugar for about 6 mins until thick and pale. Fold in the melted chocolate and cocoa, then pour into the tart case. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook for 20-25 mins or until set and the top has formed a crust. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving in slices.

CANDIED-HAZELNUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. In a food processor, pulse together almonds and hazelnuts until finely ground (do not overprocess, or the nuts will turn into a paste). Into a mixing bowl, sift together both flours, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in the ground nuts.
• With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and both sugars until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beatingwell after each.
• In another mixing bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. In two additions, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
• Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
• Using an offset spatula, spread frosting over each cupcake. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature and top with caramel-dipped hazelnuts just before serving.

CARAMEL-DIPPED HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Gently insert pointed end of a long wooden skewer into the side of each hazelnut. Place a cutting board along the edge of a counter-top; place newspaper on the floor, directly under cutting board.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Heat sugar and the water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and syrup is clear. Stop stirring; cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Continue to boil, gently swirling occasionally, until medium amber. Plunge pan into ice bath to stop the cooking; let stand until thickened, about 10 minutes. (To test: Dip a skewer in caramel and lift a few inches; if a thick drip slowly forms and holds a string, the caramel is ready.)
• Dip a skewered hazelnut into caramel, letting excess drip back into pan. When dripping syrup becomes a thin string, secure opposite end of skewer under cutting board. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. (If caramel hardens before all hazelnuts have been dipped, rewarm it over low heat.) Let stand until caramel string has hardened, about 5 minutes; break each string to desired length. Carefully remove skewers. Candied hazelnuts should be used the same day; store, uncovered, at room temperature until ready to serve cupcakes.