Win your Valentine's heart with a sinful Chocolate Hazelnut Cake.
- Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate Sweet up your sweetie with a heavenly Chocolate Hazelnut Cake, Fruit Jam Tartlets and iced Valentine's cookies that will melt hearts. Chocolate Hazelnut Cake is a perfect dessert to celebrate with your Valentine - on the big day or anytime thereafter. Fruit tarts can also be a wonderful finish to a meal or a great way to start the day.
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
9 oz. unsalted butter
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 1/2 ozs. unsweetened chocolate
6 egg yolks and 6 egg whites, reserved
1 cup plus 2 tbsps. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cake flour
1 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely
chopped, plus a few whole for garnish
(optional)
2 tbsps. brandy (optional)
Nutella (optional)
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan, or line an ordinary cake pan with a piece of parchment paper.
2. Combine the chocolates and butter and melt in a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Set the melted chocolate aside and allow it to cool slightly.
3. In a bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar and salt together, then whisk in the melted chocolate. Sift the cake flour over the chocolate mixture and whisk in. Fold in the hazelnuts and the liqueur, if using. In a second bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and then fold into the chocolate mixture.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake approximately 45 minutes -- the cake will rise and crack a little. Allow the cake to cool (it will fall a bit) before removing it from the pan. Garnish the cake with some toasted hazelnuts, or pipe stars of Nutella (a chocolate-hazelnut spread) around the edge. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Serves 8 to 10.
Fruit Jam Tartlet Cookies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour,
plus more as needed
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
8 tbsps. (1 stick) cold unsalted
butter, cut into 12 pieces, plus more
for the baking pan
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup ice water, or as needed
1 1/2 cups chunky apricot, cherry,
peach or plum preserves
METHOD
1. Stir 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Drop in the butter and toss to coat with the flour mixture. Using the tips of your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until the pieces of butter resemble small corn flakes. (Work quickly, to keep the butter as firm as possible).
2. Beat the egg yolk and 1/4 cup ice water in a separate, small bowl until blended. Drizzle over the flour-butter mixture and toss just until you have a rough dough. Don't overmix. If there are some pieces of unmoistened dough, drizzle more ice water, about 1 teaspoon at a time, over the dough, and toss lightly to mix. Turn out on to a work surface and knead lightly a few times, just to gather dough into a ball. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least
1 hour or up to one day.
3. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut off and set aside one-third of the dough. Roll out the remaining two-thirds of the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. (Don't worry if it's not perfectly shaped -- you'll have a chance to patch the dough).
4. Flour the surface lightly, as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, covering the bottom completely and pressing the dough along the sides. Trim any overhanging dough, and use the pieces to patch any holes and gaps.
5. Spoon the preserves in an even layer on the dough. Roll out the remaining dough to a circle about 10 inches in diameter. Cut the dough into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Form a lattice pattern over the preserves with the strips of dough by arranging half of them diagonally, then laying the second half of the dough strips perpendicular to the first.
6. Bake until the dough is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove, and cool completely before cutting into squares. Cookies can be stored in an
airtight container at room temperature
for up to 3 days.
Makes 36 cookies.
