One of my favorite cookies is Emily Luchetti's Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies slathered with nutella. Ahhhhh, the sweet scent of sugared hazelnuts toasting within the buttery dough.I featured her cookies once before here.
With my most recent batch I cut back the hazelnuts a touch (1/3 Cup) and added one of Theo Chocolate's scrumptious Hazelnut Crunch Bars, in turn I decreased the sugar a smidgen.
In place of the called for nutella, I opted to simmer cream and whisk in chocolate to create a crunchy hazelnut ganache; of course leaving out the ubiquitous soy lecithin and modified palm oil.
Spread over a toasted baguette, drop a tablespoon full into the center of your next batch of cupcakes before or after baking, use as a dipping sauce for fresh fruit slices, drizzle melted ganache over strawberries, sandwich between your favorite cookies or simply eat by the spoonful; the culinary possibilities are boundless.
Buon Appetito!
Crunchy Hazelnut Ganache
Makes 3/4 Cup
1/2 C heavy cream
5oz (2&1/2 bars) Theo Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Bar
Bring cream to a full boil; turn off heat.
Break the chocolate into large strips.
Add the chocolate and let stand for approximately 5 minutes.
Slowly whisk together the hot cream and chocolate.
Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Store in the refrigerator.
If too hard to spread after being stored in the fridge simply place in a bowl over a pot of barely simmering water until the ganache reaches a spreadable consistency.
As much as this recipe is going to be awesome... I am feeling lazy and I have a jar of Nutella sitting in my cupboard right now. Consider it a weakness of mine :)
ReplyDeleteNutella is such a classic, at least you have it in your cupboard! When you feel like baking, do try the cookies; you're half-way there. FYI, just took a peek at your blog, it's fantastic and quite funny! I'm looking forward to keeping up with you in Morocco; since I'm one of the only people in the world not on facebook! (;
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