SPICED HAZELNUT HOT CHOCOLATE WITH FRESH MINT WHIPPED CREAM

My family is big on “the holidays”.  The festivities began as early as December 1st from playing Nat King Cole Christmas tunes to decorating the house with lights.  Holiday spirit is not something we lack nor something we doubt.  But more than decorations and gifts, the holidays are the only time my entire family is in one place. It’s one of two times a year I visit them all the 3,000 miles away.

On Christmas morning, my mom still gets up early to set up the spread of hot chocolate, cinnamon buns, and quiche.  My sisters and I are all too old for this treatment, but she still breaks out the same traditions that we grew up having without missing a beat.  So for me, hot cocoa is not just a winter indulgence, but a drink of festivity and family.  It’s a drink of home.

SPICED HAZELNUT HOT CHOCOLATE WITH PEPPERMINT WHIPPED CREAM (Serves 4) 

• 4 cups hazelnut milk
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Freshly grated nutmeg

In a large saucepan, heat hazelnut milk over medium heat until warm. Whisk in cocoa powder, adding small portions at a time to avoid clumps.  Stir in maple syrup and simmer.  Once mixture is hot, add in spices and remove from heat.

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint

In a stand mixer, add whipping cream with the whisk attachment.  At the highest setting, let cream beat until mixture thickens to a whipped cream texture. At the last minute, add in peppermint extract and powdered sugar.  With a spatula, scrape out mixture into a small serving bowl.  Top hot chocolate with whipped cream and fresh mint leaves.

TO MAKE FRESH HAZELNUT MILK*:

• 2 cups raw hazelnuts
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cheesecloth, fine sieve or “nut milk” bag

Add raw hazelnuts and water to a large mason jar or bowl completely submerged in water and let soak for 12-24 hours.

Once soaked, drain and rinse hazelnuts well.  Add them to a blender with 4 cups water, vanilla extract and sea salt.  Blend very well.

Then set up a large mixing bowl with cheese cloth or a nut milk bag.

Pour milk through the cheesecloth making sure to drain all the hazelnut pulp.  Squeeze bag well to release all liquid.

* There are store bought brands of hazelnut milk, too! If you don’t feel like making your own, try Pacific foods brand Hazelnut milk.

(This was originally shot for FOOD&__ in 2013)

CHILLED TRUFFLE TARTLETS WITH SALTED CARAMEL (gluten-free)

Holiday sweets aren't just about cookies.  These truffle mini tarts will hold their ground with your mother's crinkle cookies, plus they will satisfy your chocolate-loving guests.  If individual tarts are too high maintenance for you - don't worry - you can also make one full-sized tart instead. Happy baking!

CHILLED TRUFFLE TARTLETS WITH SALTED CARAMEL (Gluten-free)  Makes about 8-10 small tartlets (or one large tart)

TART CRUST: 

• 1/3 cup tapioca starch
• 1/3 cup almond meal
• 1 1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum
• 2/3 cup sorghum flour
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 6 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, diced
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon water

Pulse starch, almond meal, xanthum gum, flour, and sugar in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until crumbs form. Add the egg and 1 teaspoon of water until dough comes away from the bowl.

Divide into 4 flour-dusted balls, cover in Saran Wrap, and chill for 1-2 hours. Remove from fridge, roll, and add to greased tart pan. Make small holes in the bottom with a fork. Chill another 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Top pan with parchment paper and dry rice or beans for weight to blind bake. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove parchment paper and weight, then bake another 4 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let tarts completely cool in the pan on a wire rack.

SALTED CARAMEL:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into six pieces
• 1/2 cup coconut cream (or regular coconut milk – chill for 2 hours, then scrape the thick cream off the top)
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

Heat granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often with a silicon spatula. Sugar will become clumpy and then melt down into a thick, brown liquid. Stir often and make sure not to burn (it shouldn’t be darker than a penny)!

Once sugar is melted, add six pieces of butter. Stir fast with spatula. Be careful, as caramel will sputter a little bit. Keep stirring.

Once butter is melted, carefully and very slowly drizzle coconut cream into pan, whisking rapidly. The mixture will bubble up again, so be careful and continue stirring. Allow mixture to come to a boil for 1 minute, then immediately remove from heat and stir in sea salt. Pour into a large mason jar and allow to cool completely.

If making ahead of time, let cool completely before storing in the fridge. It will keep for about 10 days. When it’s time to use, just submerge jar in warm water to bring to desired consistency.

TRUFFLE FILLING:

• 2/3 cup coconut cream or almond milk
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped small
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

When tart crusts are done cooling, add coconut milk to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, pour over chocolate and let stand for 3-5 minutes. Add vanilla extract and whisk until it forms into a ganache.

Immediately pour ganache into single tart or individual tartlet shells. Pour in 3/4 of the way full, then add tarts to a small baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Once tarts are chilled, drizzle with salted caramel and top with a small sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge for later. The tarts will keep in the fridge, chilled, for up to 5 days.

Originally shot for VERILY MAG - See the story here !

FIG AND HAZELNUT CREME TART WITH BUCKWHEAT CRUST

I totally get why people aren't into baking.  I'm sure for some it seems too detailed, time-intensive, maybe even technical.  Especially when it comes to gluten-free, it gets dicey and sometimes expensive, with the addition of 2-3 flours for every dough. But for me, baking has always been how-do-I-say…healing?  There is nothing in the world like the feeling of finishing a tart or pie, with all the steps, techniques, chilling, pulsing, rolling, etc.  It can cure any bad mood.  The fact that it takes time is what I love about it most.  Baking makes you work for it, and I've always loved that kind of attitude.

This Summer has kept me so baking-busy that I've been just trying to see how much I can bang out on any given weekend.  (Yes, Summer baking.  Where the true bakers lie.) Sometimes though, the best days are when you spend the whole afternoon making one…single…dessert.  Even if maybe baking isn't your thing, I suggest you use it as a tool -- if only to cure a little depression and/or eat something sweet.  There's something about it that really fills you up when nothing else can. 

FIG AND HAZELNUT CREME TART WITH BUCKWHEAT CRUST (gluten-free) SERVES 6

FILLING (Adapted from Martha Stewart)

• 3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons), soft
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons cognac
• 8 oz figs, thinly sliced
• 2 plums, thinly sliced
• Handful of red currants
• Raw sugar, to top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a food processor, pulse together sugar and hazelnuts until the size of hazelnut meal.  Add the next four ingredients and pulse until well combined and smooth.  Set aside.

BUCKWHEAT ALMOND CRUST (adapted from The Bojon Gourmet)

• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
• 1/2 tsp. xanthum gum
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 6T butter, chilled + cubed
• 6 tablespoons ice water

Add the first six ingredients to a food processor. Pulse your dough until butter is about pea-sized and crumbly. Then add one tablespoon of water at a time until dough forms and begins to come away from the edge.  Fraisage your dough (shown here, starts at 2:00), meaning use the heel of your hand to smear dough, a little at a time, across the counter.  This helps to add long strands of butter into your dough for better texture.  

Pat your dough together into a 6'' disk, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.  Once chilled, roll out between two pieces of plastic wrap.  Roll out a few inches wider than your intended tart dish (I used an 8 inch).

Place your greased tart pan nearby, remove one side of plastic wrap and carefully (using two hands) flip dough over into your pie dish.  Remove last sheet of syran wrap and carefully fit and press dough into your tart pan evenly.  

Gluten-free dough can be dicey, but remain calm! If any piece rips of gets torn, carefully pinch it together again.  Remove the excess tart dough (save for a mini tart) and parbake for 10 minutes.

Once tart crust is parbaked, reduce oven heat to 325 degrees.  Pour in filling making sure to spread evenly before topping with figs, plum and red currant.  Arrange in a pleasing fashion and sprinkle with raw sugar.  Bake for 1 hour, then cool for 25 minutes before serving.  

(For those asking, you can purchase this tart pan HERE)