Hazelnut Rochers Recipes

HOMEMADE FERRERO ROCHER

Steps:

• Add the hazelnuts into a food processor (keep aside 40-45 hazelnuts for the center) and blend into a fine paste like consistency. It takes a 2-3 minutes.
• Add cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt and maple syrup and blend until the ingredients start to stick together, just 20 seconds. You NEED the mix to be sticky and not dry. if it is not shapable then continue to blend.
• Roll into small balls, inserting a hazelnut into the center. Once they are all rolled, place in the fridge for an hour minimum to set them.
• Once set, dip each Ferrero Rocher in the melted chocolate. Let any excess chocolate dip off.
• Then toss them in the chopped hazelnuts and coat them all over. Place them on a tray lined with parchment.
• Store in the fridge until ready to enjoy. They will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.

HAZELNUT-ORANGE ROCHERS

Steps:

• Pulse toasted hazelnuts, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a food processor until finely ground (mixture should be powdery). Add egg whites and orange zest and juice, and pulse until combined. Transfer batter to an airtight container, and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Nest 2 baking sheets (to prevent bottoms of cookies from browning too quickly), and line top sheet with parchment. Drop tablespoons of batter onto lined sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart. Shape each into a mound, top with 2 hazelnut halves, and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar. Refrigerate remaining batter.
• Bake cookies, rotating sheets from front to back halfway through, until golden brown, 20 to 23 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter.

HAZELNUT ROCHERS

Steps:

• To make the ganache, pour the cream into a saucepan and scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod, along with the pod. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 mins. Strain the infused cream into a clean saucepan, add the sugar and bring to the boil.
• Put the Gianduja and dark chocolate in a mixing bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and mix until everything forms a thick melted chocolate mixture.
• Add the butter and mix well until fully incorporated. Leave the ganache to set at room temperatire for 1-2 hrs.
• To assemble, put the ganache in a piping bag fitted with a 12mm nozzle. Pipe small 'bulbs' of the ganache onto a lined tray. Put a whole rosted hazelnut into each bulb of ganache.
• Pipe a larger bulb of ganache on top of each hazelnut and leave to set for 1 hr in the fridge.
• Roll each bulb into a sphere and coat in feuillantine, then chill while you prepare the nutty chocolate.
• Temper the milk chocolate by melting 2/3 of it in a bowl to 45C-50C set over a pan of simmering water. Add the remaining chocolate to allow it to cool to 26C-27C, then melt back to 29C-30C.
• Add the almonds to the tempered chocolate. Remove the ganache from the fridge and use a fork to dip each into the nutty chocolate. If the chocolate thickens too much, warm it slightly.
• Place each rocher on a lined tray to set for 1-2 hrs in a cool, dry area before decorating with gold leaf to finish, if you like. Will keep for one week stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

FROZEN CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Lightly grease your 23 x 33cm (9 x 13in) baking tin and line with a large single sheet of parchment paper that fully covers both base and sides.
• Add the cookies, hazelnuts and salt to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse until ground to fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until evenly mixed. Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and use the base of a glass or measuring cup to compact evenly. Set aside.
• For the cheesecake, put the cream and vanilla into a large bowl and whisk into soft peaks. Set aside.
• Put the cream cheese, icing sugar, chocolate spread and sea salt into another bowl and use an electric mixer to beat together until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes.
• Add the whipped vanilla cream to the cheesecake mixture and fold together until evenly combined. Scrape this into the tin and spread evenly. Cover and place in the freezer until the cheesecake is solid, about 4 hours.
• For the shell, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl in a microwave, using short bursts of heat to prevent it from burning, or over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, stir in the chopped hazelnuts, then set aside for at least 10 minutes before using.
• To serve, use the parchment paper to carefully lift the frozen cheesecake from the tin and transfer it to a board. Cut into squares, then dip them into the chocolate mixture or simply pour a little of it on top of them. I like to serve the rochers while still firm from the freezer, almost like ice cream, but if you prefer, you can leave them to soften so that the cheesecake has a more mousse-like texture.