Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 4 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Crack the egg into a small bowl, then add 1 tablespoon water and beat until well mixed. Pour half into a separate small bowl. Add a few drops of red food coloring to the egg in one bowl and a few drops of yellow to the other.
• Unfold the puff pastry sheets and cut each into 3 rectangles, using the folded lines as a guide, for a total of 12 rectangles. Place 3 on each of the prepared sheet pans, leaving 2 to 3 inches in between each.
• Top each of two pans of puff pastry with a second piece of parchment and place a second sheet pan on top of the parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the top sheet pans and top pieces of parchment. Return to the oven and bake until puffed and golden brown on the bottom, an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Top the remaining two pans of unbaked puff pastry with parchment and sheet pans and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the top sheet pans and parchment. Brush these partially-baked rectangles with red egg wash on one end and yellow on the other, overlapping the two in the middle to create an orange section. Return to the oven to finish the baking, another 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Make the filling in two batches so that it will fit in the mixer. Add half the cream cheese and half the powdered sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until light. Add 3 cups heavy cream and beat to stiff peaks. Add half the chocolate hazelnut spread, then fold in using a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Transfer to a piping bag or large resealable plastic bag fitted with a large closed-star tip and refrigerate until ready to use. Repeat the process with the second half of the filling ingredients, leaving this portion in the bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Split each of the puff pastry rectangles open horizontally using a serrated knife. Line up 6 of the bottom half puff pastry rectangles end-to-end down a long platter, using a dot of filling to secure to the platter if necessary. Pipe an even layer of filling down the puff pastry line. Top with 6 more puff pastry rectangles and repeat with filling and puff pastry twice more, refilling the piping bag as needed and ending with the colored puff pastry, lining them up with red ends touching. (See Cook's Note.)
• Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the puff pastry and top with broken pieces of Hazelnut Brittle.
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Add the granulated sugar, corn syrup and 1 cup water to a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over medium-high heat until the syrup begins to turn golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling the pan gently, until the mixture is a deep amber color.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the nuts and salt. Pour immediately onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread into an even layer and let cool completely, then break into small pieces.

Steps:

• Whisk milk and pudding mix in a large bowl for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft set. Whisk in Nutella until smooth. Fold in whipped topping., Spoon into 6 dessert dishes. Chill until serving. Garnish servings with additional whipped topping.

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Arrange the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Lay a tea towel out flat and transfer the hot toasted nuts onto it. Fold the edges of the towel over to cover the nuts and gently roll them to loosen the skins. Reserve about 1/4 cup nuts for the garnish and transfer the rest to the bowl of a food processor. Process the nuts, scraping the sides down, until a smooth paste forms, about 2 minutes.
• In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until smooth. Add the liqueur and chocolate and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs. In a medium pot over moderate heat, combine the nut paste, the milk, and sugar. Warm to just below the boiling point, then slowly whisk a few splashes of the hot milk into the beaten eggs. Add the warmed egg mixture to the pot and return to moderately low heat. Stir constantly, until it thickens and holds a slight ribbon when stirred, about 2 minutes.
• Pour the hot egg-milk mixture into the bowl with the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Nest the bowl in an ice water bath and stir until cool but still easy to stir, 5 to 8 minutes. (Or, chill the mixture in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally, until cool, about 45 minutes.)
• Using a large wire whisk or an electric mixer, whip the cream until it holds distinct peaks. Fold about one-third of the cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining two-thirds until just incorporated. Transfer the mousse to individual dishes or 1 large serving dish and chill, loosely covered, at least 1 hour. Before serving, roughly chop the reserved 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts and use them to garnish each portion.
• The MOUSSE can be prepared and refrigerated, loosely covered, up to 1 day ahead.

Steps:

• Combine the heavy cream and espresso granules in a small mixing bowl. Stir until dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Add the espresso mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer, along with the chocolate-hazelnut spread. Mix with the whisk attachment on medium for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and continue beating until very soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Garnish with the toasted hazelnuts and whipped cream and serve.
• Cook's Note: I also often garnish this with some sliced bananas for my nephews.

Steps:

• Make shortbread base:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide shortbread base off bottom), then lock on side of pan and line bottom with a round of parchment paper.
• Pulse hazelnuts with sugar in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped. Add flour, butter, cocoa, and salt and pulse just until a dough forms.
• Press dough evenly onto bottom of springform pan with your fingers. Prick all over with a fork, then bake until just dry to the touch, about 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer base in pan to a rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Remove side of pan and carefully slide out parchment from under shortbread, then reattach side of pan around shortbread base.
• Make mousse while shortbread cools:
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat, stirring, just until gelatin is melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk in chocolate hazelnut spread until combined and remove from heat.
• Whisk together mascarpone and chocolate hazelnut mixture in a large bowl. Beat together cream, cocoa powder, and sugar in another large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until just combined, then increase speed to high and beat until cream just holds soft peaks. Whisk one third of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whipped cream until well combined. Spoon filling onto shortbread base in pan, gently smoothing top, then chill, covered, at least 3 hours.
• Make ganache and glaze cake:
• Bring cream to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan and remove from heat. Add chocolate and let stand 1 minute, then gently whisk until completely melted and smooth. Transfer ganache to a small bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened but still pourable, about 20 minutes.
• Run a warm thin knife around inside of springform pan, then remove side. Slide cake off bottom of pan and transfer to a serving plate. Pour ganache onto top of cake and spread, allowing excess ganache to drip down sides.

Steps:

• 1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the hazelnuts on a small baking tray and bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes, turning the tray back to front after 5 or 6 minutes. Cool. Enclose the nuts in a clean towel and rub until as much of the skins as possible come off.
• 2. Place the nuts and hazelnut oil in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until a paste forms.
• 3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using a whisk or eggbeater, whip the heavy cream. Refrigerate, covered, until needed.
• 4. In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Turn off the heat when almost melted and stir occasionally until completely melted. Scrape into the nut paste and process until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
• 5. In a clean medium heatproof bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks.

Steps:

• Bake pastry shells according to package directions. Cool completely., In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form., In another bowl, beat mascarpone cheese, Nutella and cinnamon until blended. Fold in whipped cream and chocolate chips. Spoon into pastry shells. If desired, drizzle with melted chocolate. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Refrigerate until serving.