Chocolate Hazelnut Raspberry Goodness Recipes

RASPBERRY AND CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT CREPE CAKE

Steps:

• Crepes: In a blender, puree flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter until smooth, 30 seconds. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day; stir for a few seconds before using.
• Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium; lightly brush with butter. Add a scant 1/4 cup batter, tilting and swirling skillet until it evenly coats bottom. Cook until crepe is golden in places on bottom and edges lift from pan, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Flip and cook on other side until just set, about 45 seconds. Slide crepe onto a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining batter, coating pan with more butter as needed, and stacking crepes directly on top of one another (you should finish with about 30). Let cool completely before using, or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.
• Fillings: In a bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved (mixture should feel smooth when rubbed between your fingers). Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in white chocolate until smooth. In another bowl, stir together hazelnut spread and bittersweet chocolate until smooth. In a third bowl, whisk cream and confectioners' sugar to stiff peaks. Divide whipped cream evenly (about 3 cups each) between raspberry and hazelnut mixtures and stir until smooth. Refrigerate cream mixtures until thickened slightly but still spreadable, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
• To make cake, place 1 crepe on a cake plate. Spread 1/3 cup raspberry-cream mixture evenly over crepe, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Top with another crepe; spread with 1/3 cup hazelnut-cream mixture. Repeat layering, alternating fillings, until all crepes are used, finishing with a crepe. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Just before slicing and serving, top cake with raspberries and dust generously with confectioners' sugar.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and the flour. Add the eggs, hazelnuts, chocolate chips, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir well. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 1 hour.
• Cool the tart for at least 30 minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT RASPBERRY GOODNESS

Steps:

• Pour the Chambord, Frangelico and vodka into a cocktail shaker over ice. Cover, and shake until the outside of the shaker has frosted. Strain into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with chocolate shavings to serve.

RASPBERRY, CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT BREAKFAST BREAD

Steps:

• Up to 3 days before you want to bake (and best if at least 1 day), mix the yeast, 400g of the flour, the sugar and 1 tsp salt in a big bowl. Whisk together the milk, melted butter and egg, then tip into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon. Cover tightly with greased cling film and chill at least overnight or up to 3 days.
• When you're ready to finish the bread, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Add the remaining flour to the dough and use your hands to mix in. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead to completely bring together. Roll out with a little more flour to a 50 x 30cm rectangle. Spread the Nutella all over the dough. Scatter the raspberries evenly over, then press lightly with your hands so they stick into the dough a bit.
• With a long side facing you, roll up as tightly as you can (like a Swiss roll). Use a sharp knife, dusted with a little flour, to cut the roll in half down the length - but not quite through at one end, so the 2 strips are still joined. Twist the 2 strips together, then bring the ends together to make a wreath, pinching the ends together to stick. Lift onto a baking sheet, scatter with the hazelnuts and granulated sugar, and bake for 30-40 mins until browned and crusty.
• Cool until just warm. Serve with butter, raspberry jam and extra Nutella, if you like.

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT RASPBERRY TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet, and toast for 8-10 minutes. Be careful that they don't burn. Remove from oven and place on a towel. Take another towel, place over nuts and rub gently to remove skins. Allow to cool, then place in a food processor and pulse untl finely ground. Be careful not to grind into a paste. Set aside.
• Heat sugar, coffee and chocolate in a double boiler. Stir until chocolate melts. Set aside.
• Place butter in mixing bowl and beat until fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in chocolate mixture, almond and vanilla extract, and rice flour.
• In a separate bowl beat egg whites, until stiff enough to hold a peak. Fold half the egg whites into the chocolate batter. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites. Pour batter into a greased 8-inch cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.
• Heat heavy cream, with butter, until just boiling. Turn off heat and add chocolate and vanilla, and allow to sit for 3-4 minutes, whisk until smooth.
• Take cake out of refrigerator. Thinly spread two tablespoons of ganache over the cake, as a crumb coat. Spread raspberry jam over the top of the crumb coat. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Place wire rack on a baking sheet. Place cake on rack and pour ganache over the cake. Evenly coat the cake using a spatula. Decorate the perimeter with whole hazelnuts, place on a plate, refrigerate until ready to serve.

WHITE CHOCOLATE, RASPBERRY & HAZELNUT MARBLE TORTE

Steps:

• For the sponge, heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4, then grease and line the base of a deep 22cm springform cake tin. Finely chop the toasted hazelnuts in a food processor, then tip into a bowl with the sugar, flour and bicarbonate of soda. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then quickly stir the butter, milk and yolks into the dry ingredients. When the mixture is smooth, stir in one-third of the egg whites, then gently fold in the rest. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, bake for 40-50 mins until the cake is golden andspringy to touch, then allow to cool.
• For the mousse, melt the chocolate in a glass bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, then let it cool slightly. Soften the gelatine in water, squeeze out, then put in a small pan with 100ml of the cream. Gently warm over a low heat until the gelatine is melted (you shouldn't be able to see any clear streaks in the cream), then tip into a bowl with the remaining cream and egg whites. Make sure you thoroughly scrape out the pan so no gelatine is left behind. Beat until it holds its shape, then spoon a quarter of this creamy mixture into the melted chocolate. Mix briefly until smooth. Fold in the remaining cream mix and raspberries, swirling the mixture so the berries begin to marble the mousse, then set aside until the cake is cool.
• To assemble, split the sponge in half and re-line the base of the cake tin with baking parchment. Use a long continuous strip of baking parchment to wrap around and line the inside, as this will help to make the sides of the finished torte look smooth. Press the bottom half of the cake back into the tin, sprinkle with half of the liqueur, then gently spoon over the mousse. Sprinkle the cut side of the top cake with the remaining liqueur and put this, liqueur-soaked side down, on top of the mousse. Press down gently, wrap the entire tin in cling film, then chill overnight.
• To serve, remove the torte from the fridge about 1 hr before you want to eat it, release from the tin, then gently peel off the baking parchment. Lightly dust the top of the torte with icing sugar, then pile on the chocolate curls (see box, below) and a few raspberries.

RASPBERRY HAZELNUT BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour.
• In a small bowl stir preserves until smooth. In a heavy 1 1/2-quart saucepan melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring, until smooth and remove pan from heat. Cool mixture 10 minutes and stir in sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon until mixture is glossy and smooth. In a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and add to chocolate mixture, beating just until batter is combined well.
• Spread half of batter evenly in pan. Drop preserves by spoonfuls onto batter and spread carefully to form an even layer. Drop remaining chocolate batter by spoonfuls onto raspberry preserves and spread carefully to form an even top layer. Sprinkle batter evenly with hazelnuts and bake in middle of oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack before cutting into 16 squares. Brownies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature, 5 days.

COFFEE, HAZELNUT AND RASPBERRY TORTE

Steps:

• For filling:
• Press raspberries through fine sieve into small bowl. Press jam through same sieve into raspberry puree; discard seeds. Stir to blend well. Cover and chill overnight.
• For frosting:
• Combine 3/4 cup cream, white chocolate and coffee crystals in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat just until chocolate melts, coffee dissolves and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Let stand until cool and thick, whisking occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Using electric mixer, beat 1 3/4 cups cream in large bowl until firm peaks form. Fold large spoonful of whipped cream into chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold chocolate mixture into whipped cream in 4 additions. Cover and refrigerate frosting until very firm, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead; keep chilled.)
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 9-inch diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides with parchment. Butter and flour parchment. Combine nuts, flour, 1/4 cup sugar, coffee crystals and salt in processor. Blend until nuts are finely ground.
• Using electric mixer, beat yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl until very thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in water and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold into yolk mixture in 3 additions.
• Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out; peel off parchment.
• Place 1 cake on platter and second cake on piece of foil. Spread 1/3 cup filling over each; let stand 20 minutes to set up. Spread 1 cup frosting over each. Lift cake off foil; place atop cake on platter. Top with third cake. Spread remaining frosting over sides and top of torte. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.)
• Garnish torte with fresh berries, if desired. Cut into wedges and serve.

RASPBERRY HAZELNUT TART

Steps:

• Make the pâte sablée: Sift flour, 35 grams hazelnut flour and 110 grams confectioners' sugar into separate bowls. Place 175 grams butter, 3 grams salt and sifted all-purpose flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until flour and butter just come together. Add sifted hazelnut flour and confectioners' sugar and mix on low until ingredients are just incorporated. Add vanilla extract and egg yolks and mix on medium just until ingredients come together. Scrape dough out of bowl and press into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangular block. Wrap airtight in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Unwrap dough and cut into two equal pieces. Wrap one piece and refrigerate or freeze for use in another tart.
• Butter a 9-inch metal tart pan with a removable bottom very lightly and evenly. (If you can see the butter you have used too much.) Place parchment paper or a Silpat on a work surface and dust lightly with flour. Tap on the dough with a rolling pin to make it pliable. Roll dough out gently to about 1/4-inch thickness, frequently rotating it a quarter turn clockwise. Work quickly so dough doesn't warm up and become sticky.
• Cut a circle that is 1 1/2 inches larger in diameter than tart pan. (An easy way to do this is to use a larger pan or ring as a guide; set it on top of the dough and cut around it.) Very lightly dust dough with flour; use a pastry brush to remove any excess flour. Wrap dough loosely around rolling pin to lift it up from work surface, then immediately unroll it onto tart pan. Gently guide dough down the sides of the pan, making sure that dough leaves no gap between the bottom edge of the sides of the pan and the bottom. Using a paring knife, trim away excess dough hanging over edges. Refrigerate tart shell, uncovered, for at least 1 hour and preferably overnight.
• Assemble the tart: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place hazelnuts on a sheet pan lined with parchment and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 15 minutes and place in a bag. Seal bag and gently roll over nuts with a rolling pin, just to crush them into halves. Set aside.
• Sift together 70 grams hazelnut flour, 70 grams confectioners' sugar, the cornstarch and the cake flour.
• Place 70 grams butter, pinch of salt and the vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix at medium speed for 1 minute. Turn off machine, scrape down sides of bowl and add hazelnut flour mixture. Mix at medium speed for 1 minute. Gradually add egg and mix at medium speed until incorporated, no more than 2 minutes. Add rum, if using, and mix until incorporated.
• Remove tart shell from refrigerator. With a fork, poke holes in the dough, 1 inch apart. Spoon or pipe hazelnut cream into bottom of shell. Using a small offset spatula, spread in a smooth, even layer.
• Bake tart for 40 minutes, until cream and crust are golden brown and the tip of a paring knife comes out clean when inserted. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
• Remove tart from the ring and, with a small offset spatula, spread raspberry jam over surface in an even layer. (If jam is too stiff to spread easily, place it in a small saucepan and warm it slightly first on top of the stove.) Arrange fresh raspberries on jam. Just before serving, distribute roasted hazelnuts among the raspberries and dust with powdered sugar. The tart is best when eaten the day it is made, but can be refrigerated for a day.