Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Tea Bread & February's Give-Away Apron

February is here and I heard that Punxsutawney Phil once again saw his shadow; but as a friend said, "how could he not with all those spotlights on him!"  Well, to get through the month I've decided to pull out the chocolate recipes to make any bad weather seem a little more tolerable.

I bet you're asking, why do I call this a tea bread and how is it different from either a quick bread or cake?  So let me try to explain...why I've call this a "tea bread" and not either of the two above.  Typically, a quick bread refers to a loaf, usually made with fruit (i.e., banana, zucchini, etc.) and the ingredients are stirred together so the protein fibers don't bread down.  It has less sugar than cake and, in fact, the ratio of flour to fat to sugar is different.  Quick breads also came about in the United States with the creation of leavening agents--baking powder or baking soda--which gives rise to the bread with heavier ingredients in it.  Cakes, on the other hand, use "air" to give them rise; beating butter and sugar together until fluffy traps fat crystals in the sugar helping with lift.  Also, a low-protein flour, like all-purpose flour is used so gluten doesn't form from beating the ingredients.  Now, a tea bread lies somewhere between the two.  Although very similar to a quick bread because of a lower amount of sugar, it does use the technique to cream the butter and sugar together to form "air" for lift.  And, then there's the definition in Webster's dictionary that says, "a tea bread is eaten with a cup of tea!" A dip in temperatures yesterday prompted a nice slice of tea bread with a hot cup of Irish Breakfast Tea.

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Tea Bread

5 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 oz. cream chest
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Cake Flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder*
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 buttermilk
2/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

*I used Triple Blend Dutch-process Cocoa

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Grease a large loaf pan or use a 10-cup Bundt pan.  I also dusted some cocoa in the pan.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy.   Beat in the granulated sugar until combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  The mixture should be fluffy!

Stir together the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk and vanilla extract.  Fold in the hazelnuts to evenly distribute in the batter, which is very thick.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.  Smother the surface.  Bake in the preheated oven until firm to touch and pulls away from the pan sides, about 1 hour 15 minutes.  You can also use a cake tester!  If the top looks like it's browning too much, loosely cover with aluminum foil.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool  for 5 minutes, then turn the loaf out of the pan onto a rack or serving dish and let cool completely.  I dusted the top of my loaf with confectioners' sugar (icing sugar).  Cut into thick slices to serve.

Although we had this in the evening after dinner, it was also perfect this morning.  Enjoy

This month's apron is appropriately in colors to celebrate Valentine's Day, but also to keep in mind to stay in the "pink" health wise.  Comment on the posts this month and you could be the lucky recipient wearing this apron to bake in your kitchen!

Chocolate Hazelnut Crinkle Cookies

I love hazelnuts and during the holiday season, when my mother put out the "traditional" nut bowl, I was the one picking them out to crack:-D  When we lived in the Pacific Northwest, hazelnuts were plentiful and I could always find a vendor at the Farmer's Market selling the nuts and nut flour, which I love baking with.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies have been around for awhile and the one thing I've always found is that you have to be careful not to make them too "tooth aching" sweet.  I like to substitute light brown sugar instead of the usual granulated sugar a lot of recipes call for and the chocolate I use is at least 60% cacao along with some unsweetened Dutch Processed Cocoa.  Today, I added some toasted hazelnut flour, which can be purchased at King Arthur Flour or Nuts.com or you can make your own by toasting hazelnuts in a shallow pan, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and rub hazelnuts in a kitchen towel to rub the loose skins off, then, place them in a food processor with 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Pulse until finely ground.  The hazelnut flavor also helps in not making these overly sweet, but rich and chocolatey. I think they're perfect to add to my repertoire for the Holiday Cookie Boxes I do each year!

Chocolate Hazelnut Crinkle Cookies
1/3 cup ground hazelnuts or toasted hazelnut flour (if making your own, start with about 2/3 cup of hazelnuts to toast, and pulse in food processor with 2 T granulated sugar.)

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao) chopped and melted in a bowl over a saucepan of barely    simmering water until smooth

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar (for rolling the cookies in)

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.  Add the brown sugar and mix until at high speed until fluffy.  Scrape down the sides once more and add the vanilla, and melted chocolate.  Mix to combine.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt, then add it to the batter with the milk.  Mix just until combined.  The dough will be very soft and must be chilled for 2-3 hours.  I divided the dough and placed it in plastic wrap to chill.

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Roll dough into balls and then roll them (3-4 at a time) in sifted confectioners' sugar (icing sugar).  Arrange on the baking sheet, 2 inches apart.

Bake in the preheated oven, 10-12 minutes.  The cookies are puffed and cracked and edges feel dry, but the centers are still slightly soft.  Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

I thought they looked like spider webs and packaged up some to send to my grands!  I spent last week with my granddaughters and had fun carving pumpkins and baking.  They're such good bakers--just like when I was growing up and loved helping my mom in the kitchen.  Enjoy!

Brown Sugar~Nutella Ribbon Pound Cake & November's Give-Away

I love Thanksgiving--it's not only a day to remember those valiant women and men who came ahead of us and forged a nation, but a day of celebrating with our families and friends around a table laden with food.  I looked forward to rising early with my mother and beginning the preparation; stuffing was made, the turkey was cleaned, seasoned, and stuffed, the good china was taken out of corner cupboard and wiped off, then the table was set, and lots of desserts.  All good memories.

I miss those days of the big family gatherings, but I still make the big meal (sans the turkey) and enjoy taking favorites from my childhood and giving them a "new look."  Mom made a black walnut pound cake and I remember peeling the thick green skins and trying to crack the hard shells to get enough nuts for this dessert.  Here, in the Pacific Northwest, hazelnuts are my choice for a unique taste, along with Nutella, which is a hazelnut spread with cocoa added, but hey, feel free to make this Brown Sugar Pound Cake yours with the choice of nuts you love.

Brown Sugar~Nutella Ribbon Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 T molasses

5 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 1/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

1 cup chopped hazelnuts (or your favorite)

2/3 to 3/4 cup Nutella to make the ribbon center

Do not preheat oven! Spray a 12-cup Bundt cake pan with a non-stick baking spray.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter thoroughly.  Add the sugars, molasses and vanilla extract and beat to combine.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat on medium for 5 minutes until the batter is light and fluffy.

Add the dry ingredients and the milk and mix on low until combined.  Add the nuts and mix 1 minute more.

Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan.

Use a teaspoon to spoon the Nutella over the batter, keeping it in the center, clear of the sides and "tube".

Lastly, spoon the remaining batter over top and place in the oven.  Set the temperature to 325F-degrees and the timer for 70 to 75 minutes.

Use a skewer to test for doneness.

Allow to cool in the pan 5 to 7 minutes, then invert on your serving tray.  When the cake is cooled completely, I dusted it with some confectioners' sugar; keeping it simple.  Enjoy!

Now, this month's apron is finally here.  The colors I chose reminds me of the Bittersweet branches Kelly and I would go into the woods and cut when we lived in Massachusetts and Connecticut to decorate the house for Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, we don't have Bittersweet here in Washington, but these colors are still my favorite for the holiday.

By commenting on the posts this month, you will be eligible to win this apron...and I do mail anywhere--including international!  Thank you for stopping by--I'd love to hear about your memorable Thanksgivings. XOXO

 

Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Cookies

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you just need Chocolate!  I know I do and this is it:-D  So, I made up this cookie with the inspiration of the Hazelnut Crunch from the Chocolate Cake recipe I made a week ago from September's Bon Apetit magazine.  It was just so darn addictive and I knew putting it in a cookie would be satisfying.

I know it's also a week, where kids are heading back to school or doing their last minute school supply shopping, so this cookie is for all the Mom's who deserve the recognition for making this happen.

Hazelnuts remind me of autumn; don't know why, but they're the "nut" I choose most often whenever the weather starts to get cooler.  We're lucky that they're grown here in the Pacific Northwest and in actuality we have them all year round.  My mother called them filberts and besides always being in the "nut" bowl, I remember baking with them often.  Back then, we would roast them in the oven, then, place them in a cotton dish towel and rub all the skins off before baking with them.  The cultivars that grow here have a very thin skin and rubbing is obsolete.  Hazelnuts are rich in protein and unsaturated fat, besides being a good source for thiamine and vitamin B6.  These nuts are made into liqueur, Frangelico and products like Nutella, which is what I used in the "crunch."

Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Cookies

Hazelnut Crunch: (recipe from Bon Apetit)
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 T unsalted butter
1/2 cup Nutella
1/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts (measure after chopping)
3 cups rice cereal (I used Rice Krispies)

Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over a double boiler.

Remove bowl from heat and add the Nutella and chopped hazelnuts.  Don't be concerned if the mixture seizes, it will "relax" once you add in the rice cereal.

Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
2 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate bits
1/2 of the Hazelnut Crunch

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment.

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together thoroughly.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the vanilla and cocoa and mix again.  

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low, scrape down the sides, then, add the mini chocolate bits and Hazelnut Crunch.  Mix on low again to incorporate.

Scoop cookie dough onto the parchment-lined sheet and flatten the tops, slightly with your fingers.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes.  Allow to cool on the tray 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.  The recipe makes 26 three-inch cookies.

These would be perfect to have when the kids arrive home from school too.  I know I always looked forward to that first day with my girls; we could sit down, enjoy some milk and cookies ( M & C's) and I got to hear all about their day--new friends, classes, and how much homework they already had. Enjoy!
 

Dried Cherry~Hazelnut Scones...and a Review

As the weather is turning cooler and I've had to admit, autumn is indeed around the corner, my baking centers around the comfort foods of my past--scones.  My basic recipe has been handed down from my great-grandmother, whom I was told, after she baked scones, my great-grandfather would break them up in a bowl, pour fresh milk over them, and sprinkle with a little sugar.  Quite unusual, but what I surmised was that maybe her scones were a little dry or maybe she didn't add other ingredients to make him want to eat them slathered with homemade jam as I prefer them:-D

Two of my favorite "extras" are dried cherries and hazelnuts and I was anxious to make up a batch after I received my order from King Arthur Flour for a new flour they've added to their line--Self-rising.

I've used self-rising flour before and along with Bisquick, I can see the practically of not having to add leavening (and shortening for Bisquick) when making up a recipe.  Self-rising flour was invented by Henry Jones and patented in 1845.  A leavening agent (baking powder) and salt are evenly distributed into a high gluten flour that will give consistent rise in baked goods. The usual ratio is one teaspoon of baking powder and about 1/8 teaspoon of salt per one cup of flour. What I really wanted to test was how it baked because for me, that's what outweighs less steps and ingredients added.  Well, I'm very pleased with the results and this will be a welcome addition to my pantry!

Dried Cherry~Hazelnut Scones
4 cups King Arthur Self-Rising Flour
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 T granulated sugar
1/3 cup of Hazelnut Flour

12 T cold unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups half-&-half
1 large egg
1 cup dried cherries
Turbinado sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F-degrees (218C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Pour boiling water over the cherries to soften; after 15 minutes, drain thoroughly.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix the dry ingredients.  Grate the cold butter on a box grater using the coarse side.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix.  The dough should have small pea-size pieces of butter throughout.

Add the dried cherries and mix just until combined.  Whisk the egg and half-& half together--you will not use all the liquid in the dough, make sure you have at least a couple of tablespoons for brushing on the tops.  While the mixer is running on low, slowly add the cream/egg mixture.  Add just enough until the dough comes together. 

Stop the machine and sprinkle a dough board, lightly with flour.  Turn the dough out onto the board and knead carefully to form a smooth disk.  

Roll the dough to approximately 3/4 to 1-inch thick.  You could cut the round disk into "pie-shaped" or as I chose, cut out 3 1/2-inch rounds.

The trick with getting scones (and biscuits) to rise to their fullest--don't Twist the cutter, but rather push down and pull up! Place scones on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush the tops with the reserved cream/egg mixture and if desired, sprinkle the tops with the raw Tubinado Sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven about 15-17 minutes, until golden brown and risen.  I had mine with a spoonful of homemade Peach jam that I made on Monday.  The texture was soft and the scones were a great way to start the morning. Enjoy!






 

Easy Linzer Cookies

A Linzer Torte is a Austrian dessert named for the city Linz and is one of the oldest recipes in the world.  It's a holiday classic in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary.  I've not only made the torte, but last Christmas, I made a cookie bar in honor of this delicious combination.  Raspberry jam, hazelnuts, lemon and cinnamon are the flavors most associated with the torte and I kept that in mind when I baked this easy version.

However, instead of the usual raspberry jam, I decided to substitute a product I found in the King Arthur Flour Catalogue, jammy bits.  I've used them before in cookies and muffins, so I thought they'd be the perfect--and I was right!  Normally, I've told my daughters if you don't have an ingredient, don't make that recipe; in this case it's the exception to my rule.

Easy Linzer Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/3 + 2 T granulated sugar
2 large eggs
zest of one lemon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup + 1 T ground hazelnuts (or hazelnut flour)
2 1/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 cup Raspberry Jammy Bits
3/4 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars thoroughly.  Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract and cinnamon and beat again.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl between additions.

Add the ground hazelnuts along with the rest of the dry ingredients and mix to combine on medium speed.

Stir in the chopped hazelnuts and raspberry jammy bits.  Use a 1/4-cup scoop to measure up the dough and place it on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, rotating the pan half-way through the baking time.  Remove from the oven and use a "meat mallet" and press the design into the warm cookies.

I did this because the usual design in a Linzer Torte is made by creating a "lattice" pattern with the dough.  If you don't have a meat mallet, you could use a fork to "cross hatch" a design close to this.

Allow the cookies to cool about 5 minutes, then remove them to a rack to cool completely.  The recipe makes about 25 3-inch cookies.

The day started off grey and rainy off and on, but warm cookies and a nice cup of tea or as in my sister's case, coffee at 3 p.m., would brighten any dreary day.  Enjoy!