Hazelnutfigtwists Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Chop the hazelnuts and place them on a sheet pan. Roast them in the oven for 10 minutes. (If the hazelnuts have skin on them, roast them for 25 minutes.) Set aside to cool.
• Chop the chocolates finely and place in a bowl.
• Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it boils. Immediately pour the hot cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with the chocolates. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. (If the chocolate doesn't melt completely, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir for a few minutes just until it melts.) Whisk in the hazelnut liqueur, coffee, and vanilla. Cover and chill for 45 minutes to 1 hour until pliable but firm enough to scoop.
• With 2 teaspoons or a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, make dollops of the chocolate mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, until firm enough to roll into rough spheres. Roll the chocolate in the chopped hazelnuts and chill again. Truffles are best when they're allowed to set overnight in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. A plain baking sheet need not be greased.
• Put the nuts into the food processor and grind them until very fine. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until light. Add the ground nuts and flour. Mix until smooth. Put the dough into a cookie press with a star or ridged tip and press into long, narrow strips. Cut into 4-inch pieces. Shape the strips into rings and place on the baking sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes, just until lightly browned. Slide baked cookies on the parchment off the baking sheet onto the countertop to cool, or place onto a wire rack to cool.
• While the cookies bake, combine the chocolate chips and cream in a small glass bowl. Microwave at high power 1 minute at a time, or place over simmering water, stirring until melted. Dip cooled cookies in the chocolate so that ends are coated by 1/2 inch. Place on the parchment or on waxed paper to harden.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the nuts out on a metal baking pan or a large sheet pan with ridges.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are very hot and fragrant.
• Carefully dump nuts into a dish towel which you've spread across the counter - a ridged dish towel or one with some sort of embroidery works well because it provides more friction.
• Bring the ends of the dish towel up around the still-hot hazelnuts and wrap them up like a present.
• Using your hands, rub them between the towel and the work surface so that the friction created by the rubbing loosens the skin.
• Discard the skins and enjoy the toasted hazelnuts whole or crush them for your favorite recipe.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast hazelnuts on a large rimmed baking sheet until skins are slightly darkened and split, 12-15 minutes. Let cool, then bundle in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove skins (there will definitely be some stubborn pieces that refuse to come off-do what you can). Transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Whisk hazelnuts, powdered sugar, buckwheat flour, and salt in a medium bowl to combine.
• Cook butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it foams, then browns (be careful not to let it burn), 5-7 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Whisk egg whites in a medium bowl until foamy (you're not trying to create volume; you just want to break them up), then whisk into dry ingredients. Whisk in brown butter. Cover and chill batter until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Reheat oven to 350°F. Generously coat six 4-oz. fluted financier molds or a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. Divide batter among molds (use about 1/3 cup batter per mold, or 2 mounded Tbsp. if using a muffin pan). Top with figs (if using) and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake until tops are browned and edges are firm, 20-25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let financiers cool 10 minutes in pans before turning out onto racks. Let cool completely.
• Batter can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Steps:

• To make Fig Preserve:.
• Sauté the chopped shallots in butter until softened, but not browned. Add chopped dried mission figs, port and dried thyme. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until figs are tender and most of liquid is absorbed; cool.
• Purée in food processor to a rough paste.
• To prepare Twists:.
• Preheat oven to 400*F.
• Place pastry sheets on lightly floured work surface. Beat egg and water, set aside. Spread fig preserve evenly over one pastry sheet. Sprinkle blue cheese and 3/4 cup hazelnuts over preserve. Place second pastry sheet over hazelnuts.
• Brush top of pastry with beaten egg. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, gently pressing nuts into pastry. Turn pastry over and repeat with beaten egg and remaining hazelnuts. Pastry should measure 9x12".
• Cut pastry across shortest width into 1/2-inch strips. Twist and arrange on greased baking sheet. Bake at 400*F for 15 minutes or until risen and golden. Cool on wire rack.