Hazelnut Praline Cookie Bars Recipes

HAZELNUT PRALINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Spread nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast them in the oven until they are fragrant, about 8 minutes. Transfer nuts to a clean kitchen towel, and rub nuts in towel vigorously between your hands to remove the brown skins. Lightly brush an 8-by-12-inch rimmed baking pan with the oil. Spread the peeled nuts in the pan.
• In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, brushing down sides of pan with a damp pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals that may form, until mixture is amber, about 9 minutes; do not stir. (Pan may be swirled gently about halfway through to incorporate any uncooked sugar.) Pour directly over nuts to create a thin layer. Set aside to cool, at least 30 minutes.
• Place half the praline in the bowl of a food processor; process until the praline is very fine with no sharp pieces. Cut the remaining praline into small pieces for decoration.

HAZELNUT PRALINE COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, leaving 1 inch of foil overhanging at 2 opposite sides of pan; spray foil with cooking spray. In food processor, place 1/2 cup hazelnuts. Cover; process until finely ground.
• In medium bowl, beat 1 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed 1 minute or until blended. On low speed, beat in flour and ground hazelnuts until well mixed. Press in pan. Bake 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle 1 cup hazelnuts over partially baked crust. In 2-quart saucepan, heat 2/3 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Pour over hazelnuts.
• Bake 15 to 16 minutes or until edges are bubbling. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds, stirring once, until softened and chips can be stirred smooth. Drizzle melted chocolate over bars. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Use foil to lift bars out of pan. Cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.

CHOCOLATE CHUNK HAZELNUT COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Set an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed quarter-sheet pan with parchment paper and rub with a light coating of butter.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until the cubes have blended together into one large smooth ball. Add the brown and granulated sugars and beat until completely combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. (It should have the texture of wet sand.) Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until well combined. (There might be small pebble-size pieces of butter in the mixture, but that is okay.) Add half of the flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until the mixture just comes together. Do not overmix. Add the hazelnuts and dark chocolate chunks and mix on low speed until just combined.
• Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared sheet pan and use your hands or a rubber spatula to lightly press the dough in an even layer. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges are light golden brown and the top is dry to the touch, 15 to 18 minutes. Place the pan on a cooling rack and cool completely. It is okay if the cookie is slightly under-baked when it comes out of the oven; it will continue to cook as it cools. (These bars are best when they are nice and gooey in the middle, so it is better to err on the side of under-baking than over-baking.)
• When ready to serve, preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat. Using a bench scraper or a straight-sided metal spatula, cut the cookie into 24 bars. Put the pan with the cut bars directly on the grill and cook, covered, until the chocolate is melted and the bars are warmed through, about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, the bars can be rewarmed in an oven or removed from the pan and rewarmed in a microwave.) Transfer the cookie bars to individual plates and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serve immediately.

HAZELNUT BARS

Steps:

• Grind 1 cup hazelnuts in a food processor. Knead into half of a 16.5-ounce package refrigerated sugar cookie dough. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface and cut into small rectangles. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden, 15 minutes; let cool. Serve with chocolate-hazelnut spread for dipping.