Monday, October 12, 2009

Chocolate and Hazelnut Truffles

As if I didn't have enough cookbooks and baking books and foodie magazines that I love to bits already, I keep discovering new magazines that are so fabulous I can't help but to buy them on the spot! One of those magazines is Delicious. I think the first one I bought was last January and I promised myself I would stop looking for it in news stands because, well, I just have enough magazines, you know. But it just jumps out at me! The articles, the recipes, the pictures, oh, the pictures!

I do make it a point to write a list of recipes I want to try as soon as I get the magazine, which isn't very hard as all the recipes are mouthwatering! In the most recent one I got there was this recipe for a Chocolate and Hazelnut Slice, which I also found on their website but under the name Chocolate and Hazelnut Truffles. I think these are really more like truffles, considering the amount of chocolate and cream they contain! Perfect for the Holidays, which are just around the corner you know, better start baking!

Chocolate and Hazelnut Truffles
Adapted from Delicious Magazine

50g butter, plus extra for greasing

Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
the pan
150g skinned hazelnuts
*
90g plain flour

100g caster sugar

1/2 tsp salt

500g bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

2 large eggs

225ml heavy cream


Preheat the oven to 180°C/350
°F. Grease the base and sides of a 20cm square cake pan with a little butter. Dust all over with cocoa powder, knocking out the excess. Or use a springform pan and line the bottom with parchment before buttering and dusting with cocoa powder.

In a food processor, place 100g of hazelnuts, the flour, sugar and salt and process until coarsely ground. Roughly chop the rest of the nuts and stir in. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat, then add 150g of chocolate. Let it melt slightly, then whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat, add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well between each addition. Stir in the nut mixture until well combined. Spoon into your prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Leave to cool in the pan.

To make the ganache, put the rest of the chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Bring the cream just to the boil and pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for a few minutes then gently stir until melted and thickened. Spoon over the cold hazelnut base and spread out. Tap the pan on the counter to smooth the ganache evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours. Cut into squares with a warmed knife, wiping the knife after each cut. If you used a round springform pan, cut the round parts off and then cut the rest into squares. The baker needs a treat too, right?

To assemble as a gift: put in a decorative box or cellophane bag and decorate as you wish. Keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

*To skin the hazelnuts: Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes. Place the hazelnuts on a clean dish towel and rub them with the towel to remove skins.
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30 comments:

• friX • said...

These look very yummy !

Rachel said...

These look so delicious! And I'm impressed with your recipe organization skills--I always get food magazines, find a thousand things I want to make, and then immediately forget all about them. I'll have to try your system next time!

grace said...

truffles are a pain in my keister, so i love this idea of spreading the batter out into a pan and creating equally delicious bars. mmm. hazelnuts.

Ramya Kiran said...

These truffles look delicious and cute!

Sue said...

kr...and read your Bio...and I think we were seperated at birth...except for the 3 children LOL
I'm adding you to my Google reader...these look amazing!!!!

lisaiscooking said...

These are gorgeous truffles! I love the square shape.

Isabelle Lambert said...

Suis certaine que ça n'a pas juste l'air bon Lynne ! je note, je vais essayer ça une fois que j'aurais fini la tire éponge que j'ai faite cette fin de semaine :)

Anonymous said...

Chocolate and hazelnut are a flavor combo made in heaven. YUM.

Tessa said...

I love delicious magazine! These look amazing.

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

If you love Delicious mag you would love Waitrose Food Illustrated from England. Another gorgeous food mag. These truffles look delicious.

Nurit - familyfriendlyfood said...

Those look so good. My favorite combination- chocolate and hazelnuts!
I know about the food mag addiction. I'm subscribed to 3, but now that Gourmet is closing its doors, I'm going to have only 2.

SpookySpoot said...

I really want to try this out and I've got a quick question. In reference to the hazelnut base, you say to let it *cool* in the pan but then to pour to ganache over to *cold* hazelnut base. Is that an important distinction? Should the base have been refrigerated while making the ganache or just cooling off by its lonesome?

Manggy said...

Cubic truffles, I love it ;) The English just have the best slices!!! (Such notorious sweet tooths :)

LyB said...

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for all the wonderful comments, these are such delicious little bites, you should all try them right now and then get back to me! ;)

SpookySpoot: The base doesn't need to be refrigerated before spreading the ganache on top, but it really does need to be refrigerated afterwards. Hope you enjoy these!

Ginny said...

Delicious! I would love some! :)

Valerie said...

Those are stunning and I'm sure delicious too.

Carol Peterman/TableFare said...

They are so beautiful and rich looking. Very elegant!

Anonymous said...

These truffles look amazing,I would love to make them for my sisters wedding. Do you think I could get 70 teeny tiny bars from a single recipe? Thank you for sharing!

Laila said...

Looks absolutely delicious ..
Laila .. http://lailablogs.com/

LyB said...

Anonymous: If you make them in a square pan, probably, but I'd double the recipe just to make sure. I don't think you'll have any leftovers. :)

Linda said...

I love the combination of chocolate and hazelnuts...this is calling my name. Thank you for sharing this!

Velva said...

These chocolate truffles look fabulous! I love it!

I am like you, love cookbooks ( probably have too many) and can't keep my eyes and hands off food magazines.

Amber said...

OMG heaven in a square.
Last year you commented on my blog regarding the table settings from a charity luncheon. The event just finished again and I just put the first post up if you are interested.

Anonymous said...

I am also a big fan of delicious magazine! I was eying this recipe but haven't found the right occasion to make them. Yours look picture perfect! Better looking than on the magazine :)

Jurate said...

Made them today, hope they will taste great tomorrow (Christmas Eve party)

Karmaloop said...

OH MY GOD! these little goodies looked gorgeous..wish I get the time to bake them..

Obagi Blender said...

They look fantastic and perhaps PERFECT for kiddie parties!

Unknown said...

how much does this recipe make?

Unknown said...

how much does this recipe make?

LyB said...

Hi Kaylee. The recipe makes an 8-inch square pan's worth of truffles so if you make them 1-inch square you should get about 64. It all depends of course how big you make your squares.