Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Sables Recipes

TALL, DARK, AND HANDSOME CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Whisk the hazelnut liquor and cocoa powder together until combined.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, until each has been incorporated. Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined. Turn the mixer to low, and add the flour and cocoa mixture, alternating between the 2, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined and no streaks remain. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
• For the filling: In the bowl of a food processor, grind the hazelnuts until they reach a very fine sand consistency. Add the hazelnut spread and process until the mixture begins to clump. Add the hazelnut liquor 1 tablespoon at a time, or until the mixture is able to ball easily in your hand.
• With your hands, form the paste into balls about the size of a very large cherry. Roll the balls lightly in the flour to absorb any excess liquid.
• To assemble: Fill the cupcake liners about 1/4 of the way full with the cupcake batter. Place 1 ball of filling in each liner, and then cover the filling with the remaining batter so each cupcake is about 3/4 of the way full.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.
• Dip each cupcake top into the Chocolate Ganache, forming an even layer, and allow to cool.
• In a heat-proof bowl, microwave the heavy cream on high for 1 to 2 minutes. The cream should be very hot to the touch.
• While the cream is being heated, place the chocolate chips and espresso powder in a medium heat-proof bowl. Once the cream is ready, pour it on top of the chocolate chips and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture has thickened. Whisk in the vegetable oil for extra shine.

DARK CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT BONBON SPIDERS

Steps:

• For the hazelnut ganache: Put the chocolate couverture in a medium bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan, scald the heavy cream. Pour the scalded heavy cream over the chocolate couveture and set aside for 3 to 5 minutes to allow the scalded milk to melt the chocolate. With a rubber spatula, gently stir the chocolate and heavy cream until fully blended and smooth. Add the butter and stir with a rubber spatula to incorporate. Add the hazelnut extract and stir to incorporate. Pour the mixture into a large pastry bag and set aside.
• Pre-treat the polycarbonate chocolate mold with red (or any color desired) cocoa butter. Once the cocoa butter is set, brush each mold with a thin layer of tempered chocolate. Fill the entire mold with the fluid tempered chocolate and tap on work surface to release air bubbles. Quickly invert the mold and tap out excess chocolate. With a putty knife, scrape off the rest of the chocolate, let the mold rest upside down for 1 minute, and then scrape off surface of mold again. Let the chocolate set. Fill each mold with hazelnut ganache, 3/4 of the way full. Let the hazelnut ganache set. Pour the fluid tempered chocolate over the mold and spread thin, scraping off any excess. Tap mold on surface to release any air bubbles, and then scrape excess chocolate again. Transfer the finished mold to the freezer and let set for 2 to 3 minutes. Pull out the mold, invert, and tap on clean work surface to release finished bonbon.
• To assemble: Dip the hazelnuts in fluid tempered chocolate and let set. Attach to finished bonbons with a small dab of tempered chocolate. With a small pastry bag, pipe the tempered chocolate on parchment paper in a 1 1/2-inch upside-down V-shape. Repeat to make 80. Once set, lift the piped tempered chocolate and attach to the bonbons with a small dab of tempered chocolate to look like the legs of a spider.
• Over a double boiler, melt 1 pound 4 ounces chocolate to 115 to 120 degrees F. Bring the bowl with the melted chocolate to a flat, clean work surface (preferably marble or stainless steel ), wiping away any access water or steam from the bowl. With a rubber spatula, fully incorporate the remaining 2 ounces chocolate. Bring down the temperature of the chocolate to 80 to 84 degrees F by either stirring constantly in a figure 8 motion, or tabling (see Cook's Note). Once cooled, test the chocolate by dipping a small strip of parchment paper into the melted chocolate, and then lay it down on a clean work surface. If tempered, the chocolate on the parchment paper should be dry, hard, shiny, and without any streaks in 3 to 5 minutes. If any of these occur, keep stirring (agitating) the chocolate, or table it again, until a parchment paper test shows that the chocolate is tempered. When tempered, bring the chocolate back to the double boiler and reheat to NO HIGHER than 89 degrees F. (Bringing the temperature back up aids in a more fluid working consistency.) Transfer the chocolate to a chocolate warmer or set the bowl on top of a heating pad (at medium setting) to keep in temper.

DARK CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT CANDIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the hazelnuts on a small baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool. Transfer the hazelnuts to a cup and line the baking sheet with wax paper.
• Meanwhile, combine the confectioners' sugar, rice cereal and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, about 20 times. Add the chocolate-hazelnut spread and melted butter. Pulse until the mixture comes together in clumps, about 15 times; the mixture should be dry to the touch but hold together when pressed.
• Roll the mixture into teaspoon-size balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Press a hazelnut into each ball and then press the dough back into a ball shape, leaving part of the hazelnut exposed at the top. Freeze the balls at least 20 minutes to let them firm up.
• Put the chocolate chips, shortening and a pinch of salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until the chips on the bottom start to melt, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Stir until the mixture is melted and smooth. Gently stick a toothpick into the upper half of a ball, avoiding the hazelnut, and dip into the melted chocolate, leaving the top half uncoated. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off and return the ball to the baking sheet. Smooth over the hole from the toothpick with your fingertip. Repeat with the rest of the balls. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. You can store the balls covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

DARK CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT DIP

Steps:

• 1. In small heavy saucepan cook and stir condensed milk, chocolate, corn syrup and ¼cup of the milk over low heat until chocolate melts. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining ¼ cup milk until dip is of desired consistency.
• 2. Stir in vanilla. Add nuts (if desired), stirring until combined. Serve warm with Keebler® Town House® Flipsides® Original crackers.
• Prepare dip as directed above. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Before serving, in small heavy saucepan cook and stir dip over low heat until heated through. Serve as above.

HAZELNUT SABLE STARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat butter in large bowl until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in yolks and vanilla. Beat in flour and salt. Stir in nuts. Transfer dough to work surface. Flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; freeze until cold, about 10 minutes.
• Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/3-inch thickness. Using 2- to 3-inch star cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer to baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather dough scraps; reroll dough and cut out additional cookies. Bake cookies until pale golden (rotate baking sheets after 15 minutes), about 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack; cool.
• Spoon chocolate into small plastic bag. Cut off tip from 1 bottom corner of bag to allow small ribbon of chocolate to come out. Drizzle chocolate over cookies. Let cookies stand until chocolate is set. (Can be made ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.)