Gianduia Gold Cups Recipes

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.

GIANDUIA GOLD CUPS

Steps:

• Stir milk chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until melted and smooth. Remove chocolate from over water. Whisk in Nutella and chopped hazelnuts.
• Stir bittersweet chocolate in another medium metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until chocolate melts and candy thermometer registers 110°F. (chocolate will feel warm to touch). Remove from over water. Using 1-inch-wide pastry brush, coat insides of candy cups with just enough chocolate to cover. Rewarm chocolate as necessary to maintain temperature. Place cups on baking sheet. Chill until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Spoon enough hazelnut mixture into center of each chocolate cup to fill to within 1/8 inch of top (about 1 heaping teaspoonful in each cup). Refrigerate until filling sets, about 15 minutes.
• Rewarm remaining melted bittersweet chocolate in bowl set over barely simmering water to 110°F. Spoon enough chocolate over filling to cover and to fill cups completely. Immediately top each with whole nut. Refrigerate cups until firm, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead; refrigerate in single layer in airtight container.) Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

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 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.

GIANDUIA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts out on small baking sheet or in an ovenproof skillet and toast them in the oven until they are a deep toasty brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the hazelnuts from the oven and set aside to cool completely.Melt the chocolate in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pot of simmering water over medium-low heat, stirring often.If serving the Gianduia immediately, place your bread in a 350 degrees F oven for 12 minutes.
• Grind the hazelnuts with the sugar in a food processor to a fairly smooth, buttery paste.
• Once the chocolate is completely melted, remove it from the heat and whisk in the cream and butter. Stir in the ground hazelnuts. The gianduia will thicken and become soft and peanut butter-like as it cools. Pour the mixture into small jars, or store in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
• Serve the gianduia with rustic slices of buttered toast.

GIANDUIA CANDY CUPS

Steps:

• Stir milk chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until melted and smooth.
• The key to this step is that you do not allow the bottom of the metal bowl to touch water.
• Remove bowl from the heated water bath and place on the counter on a towel.
• Whisk in Nutella and chopped hazelnuts.
• Stir bittersweet chocolate in another medium metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until chocolate melts.
• Remove bowl from the heated water bath and place on the counter on a towel.
• Using 1-inch-wide pastry brush, coat insides of foil candy cups with just enough chocolate to cover (it's just like painting!).
• Rewarm chocolate as necessary to maintain approximately 110 degree F temperature, which is optimal for this step.
• Place cups on baking sheet.
• Chill until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Spoon enough hazelnut mixture into center of each chocolate cup to fill to within 1/8 inch of top (about 1 heaping teaspoonful in each cup).
• Refrigerate until filling sets, about 15 minutes.
• Rewarm remaining melted bittersweet chocolate in bowl set over barely simmering water to 110°F.
• Spoon enough chocolate over filling to cover and to fill cups completely.
• Immediately top each cup with a whole hazelnut.
• Refrigerate cups until firm, about 20 minutes.
• (Can be made 2 weeks ahead; refrigerate in single layer in airtight container.) Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

GIANDUIA CHOCOLATES

Steps:

• Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan and line with plastic wrap, allowing a 2-inch overhang.
• Toast and skin hazelnuts. In a food processor pulse hazelnuts until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Chop chocolates into 1/4-inch pieces, reserving 1 slightly mounded tablespoon bittersweet chocolate for tempering. In a double boiler or a metal pan set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt three fourths of chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and add remaining chocolate in 2 or 3 batches, stirring until smooth and allowing each batch to melt before adding next.
• When all of chocolate is melted, test its temperature: Put a dab of chocolate on the inside of your lower lip; it should be slightly cooler than your body temperature. If chocolate is too warm, add reserved chocolate, stirring until smooth.
• Stir hazelnuts and hazelnut butter into chocolate until combined well and spread mixture in pan. Chill confection, covered with plastic wrap, until firm, at least 2 hours. Lift confection out of pan and peel off plastic wrap. On a cutting board with a sharp large knife cut confection lengthwise into 1-inch strips and cut strips crosswise into 1-inch squares. Chocolates keep, covered and chilled, 1 month.