Hazelnut Paste Recipes

HAZELNUT PASTE

Steps:

• Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
• In a food processor or blender, finely grind about 1/3 of the nuts at a time, until mealy.
• Add egg whites, powdered sugar and liqueur.
• Blend until paste forms.
• Wrap and store in a covered container, up to 2 weeks.

GIANDUJA (ITALIAN CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and fragrant, 13-15 minutes.
• In a food processor, blend the roasted hazelnuts and sugar until it becomes a smooth paste.
• Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Melt until smooth using either the microwave in 20 second increments or in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
• Transfer the melted chocolate to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a large bowl. Whisk in the butter, then the cream, salt, and smooth hazelnuts until blended.
• Pour into containers, preferably glass, and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.

HAZELNUT PRALINE PASTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F (160°F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the hazelnuts on the tray.
• Bake the nuts for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway. When the nuts are fragrant and roasted, remove the tray from the oven and place the nuts onto a clean kitchen towel.
• Rub the nuts with a towel to peel off the skin of the hazelnuts. It's ok if you can't remove all of it, but the most you take out, the smoother the paste will be. Discard skin. Set aside the nuts in a bowl.
• Meanwhile, add water and sugar into a non-stick saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir with a wooden spoon or silicone tool. Keep cooking until the sugar has dissolved, then increase to high heat, bring to a rolling boil and keep cooking until golden in color - takes about 9 minutes in total to make a golden syrup from sugar and water.
• Stop the heat and stir in roasted nuts to evenly coat them with the sugar syrup.
• Pour the caramelized hazelnuts onto a baking tray covered with a piece of lightly oiled parchment paper.
• Place into the fridge for 10 minutes or wait for a few hours at room temperature until the caramel hardens and nuts stick together and forms clusters of pralines.
• Break clusters of caramelized hazelnuts, bring into the food processor or high-speed blender, and process at high speed until it turns into a past. You may have to stop the food processor every 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat until the paste forms. It takes about 2 minutes in total.
• First, you obtain a powder, then crushed nuts, and finally, it will turn into a paste.
• Store in a mason glass jar in the pantry for up to 1 month.

HAZELNUT PRALINE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large enough bowl with the help of a Hand whisk, whisk together half of the sugar (50 g) and egg yolk until slightly fluffy
• Add corn starch, flour, and vanilla with until thoroughly incorporated and have a smooth paste
• Bring milk and the other half of the sugar (50 g) to boil in a saucepan on medium heat ,then remove it as soon as it starts simmering. Make sure it is simmering but not crazy boiling, see tips above
• Pour the warm milk over the egg yolk mixture slowly while whisking vigorously with a Hand whisk.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook on medium heat for a few minutes until it thickens. Concretely it is approximately 1 min after the first boil. It might get lumpy first, don't worry just keep whisking and the cream will get smooth and glossy. It's worth to keep a good quality (so that the milk won't burn in it) small/medium sized saucepan for making pastry cream
• If in doubt, strain the pastry cream for a lump free, creamy end result
• Add in room temperature butter and mix with a Rubber spatula until completely incorporated. It is worth to add the butter in 3 stages and mix well after each addition.
• Pastry cream needs to completely cool down before using it for any dessert. Place the cream into a shallow bowl and cover the entire surface with plastic wrap to avoid skin forming on top
• Once pastry cream set, prepare the mousseline cream by whipping room temp butter first
• Whip in praline paste for 1-2 minutes
• Start whipping in the room temp pastry cream in 4 stages until cream reaches a stable yet fluffy texture. Do not over whip the mixture as it can become runny
• Pre-heat oven to 180 C / 356°F
• Cream room temp butter with icing sugar for a few minutes until it becomes pale and fluffy
• Mix in egg, one at a time and whip the mixture further
• Sift in flour & hazelnut & salt mixture, fold with a Rubber spatula until fully combined
• Using ideally a Silikone roulade mat or alternatively a large tray, spread cake batter in even and thin layer with the help of an Offset spatula and bake for 8-10 minutes
• Let the sponge cool in the tray then cut out 4 x 15 cm circles
• Set your Mousse cake ring (adjustable in size) to 15 cm as the size of the sponges, use Acetate cake collar if you wish. Start building up the cake from bottom to top in the following order: sponge, praline paste, mousseline cream, sponge, praline paste, mousseline cream, sponge, praline paste, mousseline cream, sponge. Use a Digital scale to divide the cream and praline paste equally between the layers
• Let the cake set in the fridge overnight or minimum 4 hours
• Place the remaining cream into the fridge
• Carefully remove the Mousse cake ring (adjustable in size) and cake collar, spread a thin layer of mousseline cream on the side and top of the cake. Decorate the side with chopped nuts
• Temper Callebaut WhiteChocolate (callets) and spread it over a sheet of parchment paper in a thin and even layer then roll it up. Let it set in the fridge for 60 minutes then carefully start rolling the parchment out The chocolate should should naturally break into shards as you are rolling it out. Decorate the cake with the chocolate shards