Caramel Hazelnut Spikes Recipes

CARAMEL-DIPPED HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Gently insert pointed end of a long wooden skewer into the side of each hazelnut. Place a cutting board along the edge of a countertop; place newspaper on the floor,directly under cutting board.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Heat sugar and the water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and syrup is clear. Stop stirring; cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Continue to boil, gently swirling occasionally, until medium amber. Plunge pan into ice bath to stop the cooking; let stand until thickened, about 10 minutes. (To test: Dip a skewer in caramel and lift a few inches; if a thick drip slowly forms and holds a string, the caramel is ready.)
• Dip a skewered hazelnut into caramel, letting excess drip back into pan. When dripping syrup becomes a thin string, secure opposite end of skewer under cutting board. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. (If caramel hardens before all hazelnuts have been dipped, rewarm it over low heat.) Let stand until caramel string has hardened, about 5 minutes; break each string to desired length. Carefully remove skewers. Candied hazelnuts should be used the same day; store, uncovered, at room temperature until ready to serve cupcakes.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL HAZELNUT ICE COFFEE

Steps:

• Stir together the espresso, simple syrup, melted chocolate, caramel syrup and hazelnut liqueur in a heat-proof pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
• Fill tall glasses with ice and fill 3/4 of the glass with coffee mixture and top off with whipped cream.

CANDIED-HAZELNUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Using an offset spatula, spread frosting over each cupcake. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature and top with caramel-dipped hazelnuts just before serving.
• Caramel-Dipped Hazelnuts
• Gently insert pointed end of a long wooden skewer into the side of each hazelnut. Place a cutting board along the edge of a counter-top; place newspaper on the floor, directly under cutting board.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Heat sugar and the water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and syrup is clear. Stop stirring; cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Continue to boil, gently swirling occasionally, until medium amber. Plunge pan into ice bath to stop the cooking; let stand until thickened, about 10 minutes. (To test: Dip a skewer in caramel and lift a few inches; if a thick drip slowly forms and holds a string, the caramel is ready.)
• Dip a skewered hazelnut into caramel, letting excess drip back into pan. When dripping syrup becomes a thin string, secure opposite end of skewer under cutting board. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. (If caramel hardens before all hazelnuts have been dipped, rewarm it over low heat.) Let stand until caramel string has hardened, about 5 minutes; break each string to desired length. Carefully remove skewers. Candied hazelnuts should be used the same day; store, uncovered, at room temperature until ready to serve cupcakes.

CARAMEL CHEESECAKE WITH HAZELNUT CRUST

Steps:

• Make this cake one day ahead.
• For crust: Wrap foil tightly around outside of a 9-inch round springform pan.
• In food processor, blend hazelnuts and sugar together until ground finely.
• Mix in the melted butter until it forms moist clumps.
• Press onto the bottom of the pan only. Do not coat the sides.
• For filling: Preheat oven to 350 F (325 F for dark pans).
• Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl until well mixed.
• Add the eggs one at a time, and beat just until well blended.
• Pour filling into the pan.
• Bake until cheesecake is puffy and the edges are set. The center should still wobble ever so slightly when gently shaking the pan, about 50 minutes.
• Set pan onto a wire rack, and run a sharp knife around the edges.
• Cool cake completely.
• Remove the foil. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• For caramel sauce: Mix sugar and water in a heavy-duty medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Raise the heat to high, and boil without stirring until the syrup becomes a deep amber color. While heating, brush down the sides of the pan occasionally with a wet pastry brush. Also, occasionally swirl the pan. The whole process should take about 7 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and carefully add the cream (the mixture will bubble).
• Keep boiling until the sauce is reduced to 2 cups, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
• Evenly distribute 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce on top of the cheesecake, leaving a 1/2-inch border from the edges.
• Place hazelnuts around the outside edges.
• Cover and chill until the topping is fully set, about 2 hours.
• (Can be prepared 1 day ahead, if you keep cheesecake covered and chilled. Refrigerate any remaining sauce.).
• To serve: Remove sides of pan, and transfer cake to serving plate.
• Rewarm remaining sauce just until pourable but not warm.
• Cut cheesecake into slices. Pass around the sauce separately.

CANDIED-HAZELNUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. In a food processor, pulse together almonds and hazelnuts until finely ground (do not overprocess, or the nuts will turn into a paste). Into a mixing bowl, sift together both flours, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in the ground nuts.
• With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and both sugars until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beatingwell after each.
• In another mixing bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. In two additions, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
• Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
• Using an offset spatula, spread frosting over each cupcake. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature and top with caramel-dipped hazelnuts just before serving.

HAZELNUT-CARAMEL MILK SHAKES

Steps:

• Blend ingredients in blender until thickened.
• Serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• First, make the cake. Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 23cm loose bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Allow the chocolate to slowly melt, then set aside to cool a little.
• Meanwhile, blitz the hazelnuts in a food processor until roughly chopped, then add the sugars and blitz again to a fine, sandy consistency. Tip into a mixing bowl and add the 1 whole egg and 5 egg yolks. This will be a very stiff batter, but with a bit of elbow grease, it will combine. When well incorporated, beat in the melted chocolate.
• Put the remaining egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk until they form medium peaks. Scoop a quarter of the egg whites onto the batter and beat it in to incorporate, then gently fold in the rest. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 mins. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out reasonably clean, but the best indication that it is done is a smooth top with perhaps a few cracks, and a subtle springiness to the cake when gently prodded. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin.
• To make the ganache, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Put the cream and butter in a small saucepan and heat until the butter melts, but don't let it boil. Pour it over the chocolate and leave for 1-2 mins to melt, then stir to form a smooth, glossy ganache. When the cake has cooled, remove from the tin and place it on a cake stand or platter. When the ganache has cooled to a spreadable consistency, spread generously over the entire surface of the cake - as neatly or as messily as desired.
• To make the hazelnut spikes, place a large saucepan over a medium heat to get hot. Add the sugar and continue heating until dissolved. Increase heat and bubble, swirling the pan from time to time, until the caramel turns a gorgeous amber colour - but don't stir as this will cause the caramel to crystallise. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the caramel to cool and thicken to the consistency of golden syrup - if it sets too solid, simply place it over a low heat to melt again.
• Use a cocktail stick or wooden skewer to push into each hazelnut - make sure that you don't push it in where the seam is or the hazelnut will split. Place a sheet of baking parchment on the floor directly underneath your work surface - this will catch any drops of caramel. Dredge the hazelnut through the thickened caramel, coating it very generously indeed. Secure the cocktail stick to the work surface with some sticky tape or wedge under a heavy pan, so that the caramel covered hazelnut hangs over the edge. Allow the caramel to drip, like a stalactite, towards the floor and set hard. Repeat with all the hazelnuts and allow the caramel to set. When hardened, use scissors to gently trim the fine threads of caramel off the more robust, decorative spikes. Arrange the hazelnuts, spikes pointing up, in the centre of the cake.