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Come Party With Me: Rehearsal Dinner - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 11:30:52 -0700

When planning your rehearsal dinner, take into consideration the theme of the wedding. If you're having a black tie big day, don't host an equally formal rehearsal dinner. Instead throw a laid back luau, festive hoedown, or in the case of my girlfriend, Ronda, a backyard grilled pizza party. Simply put, the rehearsal dinner should not upstage the wedding reception. For this reason, avoid serving cake.

Instead, offer guests a delightfully crisp frosted cookie like these Italian-inspired chocolate hazelnut spiced cookies. They are ideal for a party because they can be made up to four days in advance. Check out the scrumptious recipe when you read more.

Chocolate Hazelnut Spiced Cookies
From Gourmet

Ingredients

For cookies:
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts (9 ounces), toasted , loose skins rubbed off in a kitchen towel while still warm, and nuts cooled completely
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon hazelnut-flavored liqueur (preferably Frangelico)
For icing:
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon hazelnut-flavored liqueur

Directions

Make cookies: Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle. Butter a large baking sheet.
Pulse hazelnuts, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped, then add butter and zest and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.
Add juice and liqueur and pulse until dough comes together into a ball but is still crumbly. Form level tablespoons of dough into balls and flatten to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, arranging 1 inch apart on baking sheet.
Bake cookies until puffed and slightly cracked, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Make icing while cookies cool: whisk together all icing ingredients until smooth.
Dip tops of cooled cookies into icing and transfer to a wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Let stand until icing is set, about 1 hour.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Make ahead: Cookies keep, layered between sheets of parchment paper, in an airtight container at room temperature 4 days.

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Reader Recipe: Hazelnut Blondies

YumSugar — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:31:31 -0800

Yesterday, I posted a link for hazelnut blondies, they looked great and were especially timely because today is World Nutella Day. It seems that I was not the only one who thought they looked good. Less than 24 hours later, TeamSugar member Twinkle, took the recipe and made it her own. If you like what you see then hurry up and act now! There's still a few hours left in World Nutella Day!

To see the recipe, read more.

Hazelnut Blondies
From TeamSugar member Twinkle

Yum posted a link to this fabulous recipe for Hazelnut Blondies yesterday and I jumped at the opportunity to bake something using my beloved Nutella and my Homemade Vanilla Extract :shamelesspimping:

The original recipe comes from Martha Stewart Living and goes a little something like this . . .

Ingredients

Makes about 2 dozen

* 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 tsp. baking powder
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1 3/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
* 1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skins rubbed off with a kitchen towel, and chopped
* 1 heaping tbsp. chocolate-hazelnut spread, such as Nutella, plus more for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter an 8-by-11-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper. Butter parchment.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Melt butter. Beat butter and sugar until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture, and stir until combined. Stir in hazelnuts and Nutella.
4. Press dough into pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 25 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Cut into squares. Serve with additional Nutella. Blondies can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 days.

The hardest thing about this amazingly simple recipe was not setting off the smoke detector whilst toasting the hazelnuts.

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Yummy Link: Hazelnut Blondies

YumSugar — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:15:31 -0800

World Nutella Day is right around the corner, so start celebrating now by baking up a batch of these simple hazelnut blondies. - Bake or Break

Cupcake of the Week: Pink Hazelnut Cupcakes with Coconut

YumSugar — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:28:33 -0700

This week's cupcake comes from our pal at Never Bashful with Butter. This time she's created a beautiful hazelnut cupcake that's pink all the way through. While it has nothing to do with Breast Cancer Awareness, I thought the lovely pink color to be quite fitting. How could you not love these cupcakes? They're so adorable, and I bet they're tasty too!

Orange and Black Treat: Witch Hat Cookies

partysugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:13:33 -0700

What do you get when you combine chocolate, hazelnut, orange sprinkles, and Hershey's kisses? A delicious cookie that is perfect for Halloween!

These cookies are easy to make because they don't involve shelling any actual nuts. The hazelnut flavor comes from Nutella, the classic chocolate hazelnut spread. If you don't want to make these cookies for Halloween, it's still a great recipe to have in your collection. They would be equally fabulous dotted with red and green sprinkles and topped with a white chocolate kiss for Christmas; so get the recipe now, read more

Chocolate Hazelnut Witch Hat Cookies
From Giada De Laurentiis
Image Source

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup orange sprinkles, or orange sugar
1 (9-ounce) package of chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped (recommended: Hershey's)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In another medium bowl, place the chocolate hazelnut spread, butter, and both sugars. Using a hand mixer, cream the ingredients together, about 3 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla and blend until incorporated. Stir in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated.
Shape the cookie dough into walnut-sized balls. Rolls the balls in the orange sprinkles or orange sugar, pressing to adhere.
Place the cookies on a heavy cookie sheet about 4 inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven.
Quickly place a chocolate kiss in the middle of each cookie. Return the cookies to the oven and bake for another 3 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

Makes 36-40 cookies.

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Definition: Frangelico

partysugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 07:52:38 -0700

Frangelico pronounced FRAN-GEL-e-Co
A hazelnut and herb flavored liquor that was created in Italy in the 1980s. The liquor is colored with caramel and the bottle resembles a monk, complete with a rope tied around its middle. The recipe for frangelico is a secret formula.

12 Days of Edible Gifts: Hazelnut Kiss Cookies

YumSugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:00:12 -0800

Every holiday season, I love indulging in those classic peanut butter cookies dimpled with a Hershey Kiss center. For our 12 Days of Edible Gifts, I experimented with this same concept to create a Ferrero Rocher-inspired treat. The combination of hazelnuts and chocolate is always divinely delicious and these crumbly hazelnut cookies with chocolate middles are no exception. They're simple to make and easily gifted in a festive basket or decorative to-go container. To make these delectable cookies for your friends and family, read more.

Hazelnut Kiss Cookies
Adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup Sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup ground roasted hazelnuts
48 unwrapped Hershey Kisses

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Place whole hazelnuts on a large cookie sheet. Bake for 8-12 minutes until fragrant. Be careful to not burn the nuts. Fresh from the oven place hazelnuts in a clean dish towel, rub against the towel to remove the skin. Grind or finely chop hazelnuts.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix eggs, yolks and vanilla well. Combine flour and salt and add a third at a time to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in nuts.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie baking sheets. Flatten each ball and place a Hershey Kiss in the center of each cookie.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes until cookies have set. Only the bottom of cookie will turn golden brown. Watch the cookies closely as the tip of the chocolate can burn. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

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Outdoor Salad Side: Summer Greens and Herbs with Roasted Beets and Hazelnuts

YumSugar — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:28:33 -0700

This week, I picked up some amazing looking beets at the farmers market. I've been saving them to make this weekend, as the weather is supposed to be great, and I want to invite folks over for a little gathering in my backyard. We'll have cool drinks and barbeque, but to start things off, I'm going to serve them a salad of summer greens, herbs, roasted beets and hazelnuts. To get the recipe, read more.

Note: You can roast the beets earlier, I plan on doing them the day before, so that the oven is not on during the warm day. Or alternatively, I could have cooked them on the grill.

Also, consider saving time by using pre-seasoned nuts.

Summer Greens and Herbs with Roasted Beets and Hazelnuts
From Food and Wine Magazine, July 2002

Ingredients

3/4 pound medium red or golden beets (about 3), scrubbed
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 cup hazelnuts (about 4 ounces), lightly toasted
1 tablespoon simple syrup (see Note)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Twelve 1/4-inch-thick baguette slices
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound blue cheese, such as Roquefort, at room temperature
8 loosely packed cups mesclun (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 tablespoons tarragon leaves
3 tablespoons chervil leaves
3 tablespoons snipped chives

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500°. In a small baking dish, toss the beets with 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and the water. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, or until tender. Let cool, then peel the beets and cut them into 1/4-inch wedges. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°.
In a small bowl, toss the hazelnuts with the simple syrup and 3/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until the syrup-covered nuts are shiny and dry. Let cool. Leave the oven on.
Brush both sides of the baguette slices with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Let cool, then spread with the blue cheese.
In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 6 tablespoons of olive oil until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mesclun, herbs, beets and hazelnuts; toss to coat. Transfer the salad to plates and serve with the Roquefort toasts.

Note: To make simple syrup, combine equal parts of sugar and water and simmer over moderate heat to dissolve the sugar. Refrigerate any leftover syrup.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Penne With Mushrooms

partysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:50:30 -0800

Although some people may think all pasta dishes are loaded with carbs and cheese, this recipe proves them wrong. It's chock full of mushrooms and kale, and combines whole wheat pasta with a rich sauce made from hazelnuts. Most grocery stores carry whole wheat pasta these days; you can find it in the regular pasta aisle. There's no meat, but the mushrooms and nutty gravy give this dish a complex heartiness. To check out this vegetarian-friendly, cheese-free pasta recipe, read more.

Penne With Mushrooms
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

Salt
1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
A handful dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups vegetable or mushroom broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced lengthwise
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
Freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped peeled hazelnuts
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
While the pasta is working, in a small saucepan, soften the dried mushrooms in the broth over low heat.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil, over medium heat. Add the portobellos, shallots and garlic and cook until tender, 6 minutes. Add the kale, cover the skillet and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg and toss.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcinis to a cutting board and chop, then add to the kale mixture.
Pour the porcini broth into a bowl or cup, discarding any grit at the bottom of the pan; set aside.
Wipe out the pan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the hazelnuts and rosemary and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the reserved porcini broth and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
Toss the pasta with the kale mixture and gravy; season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

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Fall Pantry Favorite: Cranberry Hazelnut Raincoast Crisps

YumSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:00:41 -0700

At a recent happy hour hosted by a friend, I found myself conveniently placed near a certain charismatic snack: rustic crisps studded with slivers of dried cranberries and roasted hazelnuts. Despite my attempts to save my appetite for dinner, I couldn't pull myself away from the crackers, which were just as habit-forming when eaten alone as they were with a slather of good goat cheese.

After a little research, I learned that Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps, as they're called, hail from Canada and come in a multitude of flavors, like Raisin Pecan, Fig and Olive, and Salty Date and Almond, and are sold at many Whole Foods stores. I tried several flavors, but the hazelnut, with its mild nuttiness, paired with the slightly chewy consistency of the cranberries, remains my hands-down favorite combination. I'm keeping some stocked to make a mark at impromptu gatherings this Fall.

Have you ever tried Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps?