Gianduia Brownies Recipes

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish with 1 teaspoon butter. Cut a piece of parchment paper in a strip to line the bottom and 2 sides of the dish. Butter the paper with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon butter and set aside.
• Place the unsweetened chocolate and 8 tablespoons butter in a medium heat-proof bowl that fits comfortably over a saucepan filled with 1 inch water. Place the double-boiler over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until the chocolate and butter are just barely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to stir for 1 minute to cool slightly. The mixture should be warm to the touch, not hot.
• Using a hand-held mixer, beat the sugar, vanilla and salt into the chocolate mixture until smooth. Add the eggs and yolk all at once and beat until fully incorporated and smooth. Fold in the flour and semisweet chocolate chips with a silicone spatula until just barely combined; a few streaks are fine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake on the middle rack until just set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Do not overbake. Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting into 16 small pieces.

GIANDUJA

Steps:

• Line an 8-in. square dish with foil. Place hazelnuts and oil in a food processor; cover and process until mixture forms a paste. , In a large saucepan, melt bittersweet chocolate. Stir in 2-1/4 cups hazelnut mixture. Pour half of mixture into prepared dish. Refrigerate until firm., Melt candy bars; stir in remaining hazelnut mixture. Pour over bittersweet layer. Refrigerate until firm., Reheat remaining bittersweet mixture if necessary; pour over candy bar layer. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into 1-in. squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

CLASSIC GHIRARDELLI CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.
• Chop the semi-sweet chocolate baking bar into 1-inch pieces.
• In the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, melt the chopped chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Stir the brown sugar and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs and mix well.
• In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture, mixing well until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into 2-inch squares.

GIANDUJA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spread each of the brownies with 1 tablespoon of nutella. Sprinkle each of the brownies with 1 tablespoon chopped hazelnuts. Top the nuts with 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips. Place the brownies on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the chocolate is starting to melt. Transfer the brownies to the refrigerator and let cool until the chocolate hardens, about one hour.

GIANDUIA BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. and butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour.
• Toast and skin hazelnuts (procedure this page). In a food processor pulse hazelnuts until coarsely ground (bits should be about 1/8 inch).
• Chop chocolates into small pieces and in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolates with butter and Nutella, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat.
• While chocolates are melting, into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and a pinch salt. Whisk sugar into chocolate mixture until combined well. Add eggs, whisking until mixture is glossy and smooth. Stir in flour mixture and hazelnuts until just combined.
• Pour batter into baking pan and bake in middle of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out with moist crumbs adhering to it. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack and cut into 16 squares. Brownies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature, 5 days.

ITALIAN GIANDUIA LOAF WITH CUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Line 5 1/2- to 6-cup metal loaf pan with plastic wrap, overlapping sides. Melt chocolate and butter with corn syrup in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Cool to lukewarm, whisking occasionally.
• Whisk 1/4 cup cream, 4 tablespoons Frangelico, yolks, sugar and 2 tablespoons water in small metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until candy thermometer registers 160°F., about 3 minutes. Remove from over water. Add yolk mixture and remaining 2 tablespoons Frangelico to chocolate mixture in pan; whisk until smooth. Mix in nuts. Chill until cool, about 10 minutes. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1/4 cup cream with sour cream in large bowl to stiff peaks. Add chocolate mixture and fold together. Pour filling into prepared pan; smooth top. Cover and chill overnight.
• Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted. Cool to lukewarm. Pour 1/2 cup glaze over filling in pan; shake pan gently to smooth top. Freeze until glaze sets, about 20 minutes.
• Line cookie sheet with foil. Lift loaf from pan. Turn loaf out onto foil; peel off plastic. Whisk remaining glaze over low heat until just spreadable. Pour all but 1/4 cup glaze over loaf. Spread over top and sides with icing spatula, spreading glaze that runs onto foil up sides of loaf to cover completely. Chill 1 hour. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and chill loaf and reserved 1/4 cup glaze separately.)
• Bring half and half to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Whisk yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Whisk in hot half and half mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes; do not boil. Strain into bowl. Mix in cream and Frangelico. Cover and chill until cold. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead.)
• Melt milk chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Spoon all but 2 tablespoons melted chocolate into parchment cone. Remove loaf from foil and transfer to platter. Pipe chocolate lines crosswise atop loaf, spacing 1/8 inch apart. Dip 1 hazelnut halfway into chocolate in pan; place atop center of loaf. Repeat with remaining nuts, spacing evenly and forming line down center. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead; refrigerate.)
• Using long thin knife, cut loaf into 1/2-inch-thick slices, wiping knife clean between cuts. Place slices on plate; surround with sauce. Whisk reserved glaze over low heat until melted. Spoon into parchment cone. Pipe Zs atop sauce.

GIANDUIA BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• and butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour.
• Toast and skin hazelnuts.
• In a food processor pulse hazelnuts until coarsely ground (bits should be about 1/8 inch).
• Chop chocolates into small pieces and in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolates with butter and Nutella, stirring occasionally until smooth.
• Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat.
• While chocolates are melting, into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and a pinch salt.
• Whisk sugar into chocolate mixture until combined well.
• Add eggs, whisking until mixture is glossy and smooth.
• Stir in flour mixture and hazelnuts until just combined.
• Pour batter into baking pan and bake in middle of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out with moist crumbs adhering to it.
• Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack and cut into 16 squares.
• Brownies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature, 5 days.

GIANDUIA SANDWICH COOKIES (CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Mix 1/2 cup Nutella and the egg with an electric mixer until well combined. Slowly add 1 cup of flour until a wet dough is formed. Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted board.
• Knead gently, adding a bit more flour if necessary; dough will be sticky. Roll dough into 18 balls, flouring your hands as needed to make rolling easier. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, several inches apart.
• Bake 12 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Split cookies in half horizontally using a sharp, serrated knife (see note below). Spread bottom with 1 teaspoon Nutella, replace top and press firmly. Let cool completely. Store in a tightly covered tin.
• Note on flour: I didn't have self-rising cake flour, so I mixed 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt with regular cake flour before adding it.
• Note on splitting the cookies: I had a problem with a couple of the cookie tops breaking a bit when I first started cutting them. I then tried it this way and had no more problems: turn the cookie on its side and carefully score the entire outside edge while turning it like a wheel, then gently cut the rest of the way through the middle.