Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti
Ingredients
1 lb hazelnuts
2⁄3 cup white sugar
2⁄3 cup brown sugar
1 1⁄2 cups all purpose flour
1⁄4 tsp salt
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄3 cup cocoa powder
9 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
Cooking Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly toast hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 5 to 7 minutes. While the nuts are still warm rub off the papery skins with your hands or with a tea towel.
Chop the hazelnuts with a knife, leaving two-thirds very coarse, almost only in half. Chop the remaining third hazelnuts a little more finely. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend together the hazelnuts with the remaining dry ingredients. Add the softened butter and mix on low speed until combined. Add the eggs, blending until well combined. The dough will begin to pull together.
Divide the dough into three equal pieces and roll each into a log 12" long. Place each cookie log on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and press the top of each log to flatten very slightly. Bake at 325F for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through. Remove biscotti from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Using a serrated knife, cut 16 slices diagonally from each cookie log.
Reduce the oven temperature to 275F. On the same baking sheet, set each biscotti on its side and return the cookies to the oven to bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from oven; cookies will become crisp as they cool. For extra decadence dip one side of the cooled biscotti in melted chocolate. Makes 4 dozen biscotti.
Chocolate Pot De Creme
Ingredients
1 1⁄2 cups 35% cream
1 cup milk
2 cinnamon sticks, cracked
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 egg yolks
1⁄3 cup brown sugar
1⁄2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Whipped cream and chocolate curls
Cooking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325F. Line a shallow baking dish with a cloth or tea towel and place six 5-oz ramekins inside the pan. Set aside. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat cream, milk and cinnamon just until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat, cover and rest for 20 minutes.
While milk is infusing, place chocolate in a bowl, set aside. Place egg yolks in a separate bowl with sugar and vanilla and mix well. Set aside. When cream is ready, remove cinnamon pieces, reheat cream as before and pour over chocolate, stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Pour chocolate mixture into egg mixture a little bit at a time, stirring constantly so eggs don�t curdle. Mix well, and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a four-cup measuring
Bring a kettle filled with water to a boil. Divide chocolate custard mixture equally between reserved ramekins. Fill baking dish with boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until sides are set but centres still jiggle slightly. Remove ramekins from pan and cool. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 3 hours before serving.
Serve dessert garnished with softly whipped cream and chocolate curls. Makes 6 servings.
Contributors: - recipes by Claire Stubbs, Paula Bowman
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