Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Brownies

I used ½ bittersweet and ½ semi-sweet.


Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Brownies
a Gourmet, December 2001 recipe

For hazelnut base
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, loose skins rubbed off with a kitchen towel, and cooled
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ stick ( 1/4 cup) unsalted butter
6 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
2 large whole eggs

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom and sides of an 8-inch square metal baking pan, then dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.


Finely grind nuts in a food processor with flour, sugar, and salt. Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan, then remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, whisking until smooth. Stir in nut flour until just combined. Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake in middle of oven until top is firm and dry and a tester inserted into center comes out with crumbs adhering, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, at least 2 hours.

For ganache
2 large egg yolks1 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped

Lightly beat yolks in a bowl. Bring cream with salt just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, then add half of it to yolks in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Whisk yolk mixture into remaining cream and cook over low heat, whisking, until slightly thickened and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F (do not let boil).

Remove from heat and add chocolate, whisking until smooth. Pour ganache over hazelnut base in pan, smoothing top with offset spatula, and chill, covered, until firm, at least 5 hours. Cut into squares with a warmed thin knife, wiping off knife after each cut, and remove from pan while still cold. Serve truffles cold or at room temperature.

Gourmet’s notes: 1. Truffles can be chilled up to 1 week. 2. Truffles can be frozen in pan, covered tightly with foil, 1 month. 3. Makes about 80 truffles.

RICH CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT TORTE

The recipe calls for ground hazelnuts which I have never seen in those handy packs in the supermarket so I buy mine whole, then grind them in the food processor at home. I always try to buy nuts here as they have very high quality stock and a good turnover. Rancid nuts will not make a beautiful cake. Aside from this the recipe contains nothing difficult to source, is deeply chocolaty and can be put together really quickly. So grab your 20cm (8inch) round baking tin (a deep one please.) Don't have one? You know where to go. Ready? Then get baking.

RICH CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT TORTE

• 150g butter
• 200g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 150g soft brown sugar (light muscavado though demerera would do)
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 100g ground hazelnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Butter your 20cm (8 inch) round loose-bottomed or spring-form cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
2. Melt the butter very slowly over a low heat. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring it to melt in the hot butter. Cool.
3. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and set aside. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and pale. Be patient whisking the eggs, there are no raising agents in this cake so this is how the air will be incorporated. Add the chocolate mixture and mix well. Sprinkle in the flour and ground hazelnuts, and mix together carefully. Add the egg whites and fold together carefully to retain as much air as possible.
4. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25 minutes or until the cake is set, but slightly wobbly in the centre. Cool in the tin. If it's not a spring-form tin stand the cake on a tin of tomatoes, or similar, and gently push down the side to unmould the cake.
5. Serve with softly whipped fresh cream or maybe ice-cream.

Serves 8-10