Hazelnut Sage Pate Recipes

HAZELNUT & SAGE PATE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F
• Place hazelnuts and sesame seeds on 2 seperate baking trays and lightly roast in oven 5-10 minutes; when hazelnuts are cool, rub off the skins.
• In a food processor, grind nuts and seeds together until they resemble fine crumbs (if you prefer a coarse pate, grind half nuts and seeds fine and grind the other half coarsely).
• In a large bowl beat together the cream cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, sage and oil.
• Add nut and seed mixture, combining well.
• Add the milk to get a moist consistency (the mixture should be fairly wet because the nuts will absorb some liquid).
• Place mixture in ramekins or other desired mold and chill until set.
• Serve chilled in ramekins or with small individual salads with toast.

HAZELNUT FRANGIPANE TART WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch round tart pan with removable bottom, about 1/4 inch thick. Patch, if necessary. Trim excess dough flush with rim. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line shell with parchment, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Rotate shell, and remove parchment and weights. Bake until bottom is crisp and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325°F.
• Pulse 1/3 cup hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Stir together ground hazelnuts, flour, and salt. With an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar until pale and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in egg. Add hazelnut mixture, and beat until just combined. Frangipane can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.
• Spoon frangipane into tart shell, and smooth with an offset spatula. Let stand 10 minutes. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. If edges brown too quickly, cover with a foil ring (see page 324). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
• Peel apricots (see page 343); cut in half, and remove pits. Just before serving, beat cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form; whisk in crème fraîche. Spread over frangipane. Arrange 7 apricot halves, cut side down, around edge. Cut remaining apricot half into thirds and arrange in center.
• Heat jam in a saucepan over medium-low until loose. Stir in lemon juice, and let cool for 5 or 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve; discard solids. Brush strained jam over apricots, and spoon remaining glaze over cream. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons hazelnuts around apricots. Serve immediately.

BUTTERNUT, SAGE & HAZELNUT QUICHE

Steps:

• To make the pastry, put the flour, 50g hazelnuts and ½ tsp salt into a food processor. Give it a quick pulse to disperse the nuts through the flour, then add the butter and blitz until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs. Add the egg and 3 tbsp ice-cold water, and blitz again until the pastry is just coming together - if the pastry feels dry, add a tbsp more water and pulse again. Flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 mins until firm.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Melt the butter in a frying pan. Once foaming, add the sage leaves and fry for a min or so until crisp. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside. Mix the oil with the butter in the pan. Put the squash chunks in a roasting tin, sprinkle over the chilli flakes and some seasoning, then pour over the butter mixture. Toss together so that all the pieces of squash are coated, then roast for 35 mins until tender but holding their shape. Set aside to cool.
• Roll the pastry into a circle roughly 3mm thick on a floured surface, then use it to line a deep 25cm tart tin. Prick the base all over with a fork, then return to the fridge for 20 mins to firm up, or chill it in the freezer for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop three-quarters of the sage leaves. Whisk the cream with the milk and eggs in a bowl until combined, add a good grating of nutmeg, season well, then stir through the feta, cooled squash and chopped sage.
• Line the pastry with baking parchment, fill with baking beans or dried rice and bake for 15 mins until the sides of the pastry are holding their shape. Remove the paper and beans and bake for 10 mins more until the pastry is lightly golden. Reduce the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
• Pour the quiche filling into the pastry case, then scatter over the rest of the hazelnuts and sage leaves. Return to the oven for 40-50 mins or until the filling is just set. Cool to room temperature before serving.

HAZELNUT PASTE

Steps:

• Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
• In a food processor or blender, finely grind about 1/3 of the nuts at a time, until mealy.
• Add egg whites, powdered sugar and liqueur.
• Blend until paste forms.
• Wrap and store in a covered container, up to 2 weeks.