Candied Hazelnuts For Darkest Chocolate Crepe Cake Recipes

DARKEST CHOCOLATE CREPE CAKE

Steps:

• Bring 1/4 cup water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate until completely melted. Set aside.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla in another medium bowl. Gradually add milk mixture to flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Add chocolate-butter mixture, whisking until smooth. Pour through a fine sieve into an airtight container; discard lumps. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• Lightly coat an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet with melted butter. Heat over medium heat until just starting to smoke. Remove pan from heat; pour about 2 tablespoons batter into pan, swirling to cover bottom. Reduce heat to medium-low; return pan to heat. Cook, flipping once, until edges are golden and center is dry, about 30 seconds per side.
• Slide crepe onto a plate. Repeat process with remaining batter, coating pan with butter as needed. Crepes can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day.
• Place a crepe on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Spread with about 3 tablespoons hazelnut filling. Top with another crepe. Continue layering with hazelnut filling and crepes, using about 32 crepes and ending with a crepe on top. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Spoon 1/2 cup glaze on top of the cake, spreading to edges. Spread remaining glaze around sides of cake, coating completely. Refrigerate until glaze is firm and set, about 20 minutes. Cake can be refrigerated up to 3 days. Garnish with toasted and candied hazelnuts.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CREPE CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the crepe batter: Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, milk and cream in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, hazelnut meal, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in some of the milk mixture. Gently whisk from the center of the well, making a thick, smooth batter. Then, while whisking, gradually add remaining milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla and butter. (Alternatively, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on low speed until smooth.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours.
• Prepare the chocolate cream: Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set a fine mesh sieve over the bowl. In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt. Whisk in some of the milk to create a thick paste. Gradually add remaining milk while whisking until mixture is smooth and well-combined. Whisk in egg yolks and add butter.
• Cook milk mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly and occasionally scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a rubber spatula. Once the mixture comes to a boil and becomes very thick, about 5 minutes, whisk it vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Press hot cream mixture through the sieve into the bowl with the chocolate. Let it stand for 2 minutes, then mix it until smooth and well-combined. Add brandy or coffee and stir to combine. Use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture until it has cooled to about room temperature and is smooth and silky. Cover with plastic wrap, pressed into the surface of the custard, and chill until ready to use.
• Cook the crepes: Melt a little bit of butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and let the pan get hot. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add a scant 1/4 cup (about 3 tablespoons) crepe batter to one side of the pan. (You don't want to use too much batter or you'll have thick crepes.) Quickly tilt and swirl the pan to spread the batter to an even thickness across the bottom of the pan and about 1 inch up the sides.
• Return the pan to the heat and cook crepe until very lightly golden and set on one side, about 45 seconds. Tuck a small offset spatula under the edge of the crepe, grab onto it with your fingers, and quickly flip it over. Cook until light golden brown on the other side, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Slip crepe onto a rack to cool. Once crepes are cool, transfer them to a baking sheet and cover with a light towel to keep them from drying out. Continue with remaining batter, occasionally wiping out the skillet with a paper towel and very lightly buttering the skillet every few crepes as needed. You should have 20 to 24. (You need 20 for the cake.)
• To assemble, stir the cream until smooth. Lay 1 crepe on a cake plate. Using an offset spatula, cover with a thin layer of chocolate cream (2 to 3 tablespoons), leaving a 1/4-inch border. Cover with a crepe and repeat to make a stack of 20, with the best-looking crepe on top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
• To serve, top with whipped cream, nuts and dust with cocoa.

CANDIED HAZELNUTS FOR DARKEST CHOCOLATE CREPE CAKE

Steps:

• Thread each hazelnut onto tip of a long wooden skewer; set aside. Place a cutting board along the edge of a countertop; set a baking sheet on floor next to edge.
• Cook sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides with a wet brush to prevent crystals from forming. Let boil until syrup turns light amber, about 5 minutes; remove from heat. Let stand until slightly cooled, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Dip 1 skewered hazelnut into syrup, coating completely and letting excess syrup drip back into pan. When dripping syrup becomes a thin string, secure end of skewer under cutting board, letting caramel string drip over edge onto sheet. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. Let stand until caramel has hardened, about 5 minutes. Break strings to about 4 inches. Carefully remove skewers.

DARKEST CHOCOLATE CREPE CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Bring 1/4 cup water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate until completely melted. Set aside. 2. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla in another medium bowl. Gradually add milk mixture to flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Add chocolate-butter mixture, whisking until smooth. Pour through a fine sieve into an airtight container; discard lumps. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight. 3. Lightly coat an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet with melted butter. Heat over medium heat until just starting to smoke. Remove pan from heat; pour about 2 tablespoons batter into pan, swirling to cover bottom. Reduce heat to medium-low; return pan to heat. Cook, flipping once, until edges are golden and center is dry, about 30 seconds per side. 4. Slide crepe onto a plate. Repeat process with remaining batter, coating pan with butter as needed. Crepes can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day. 5. Place a crepe on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Spread with about 3 tablespoons hazelnut filling. Top with another crepe. Continue layering with hazelnut filling and crepes, using about 32 crepes and ending with a crepe on top. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. 6. Spoon 1/2 cup glaze on top of the cake, spreading to edges. Spread remaining glaze around sides of cake, coating completely. Refrigerate until glaze is firm and set, about 20 minutes. Cake can be refrigerated up to 3 days. Garnish with toasted and candied hazelnuts.