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Chocolate Hazelnut Crepe Cake

01 Sunday Dec 2013

Posted by annashortcakes in Dessert

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

cake, celebration, chocolate, crepe, dessert, hazelnut, holiday, pastry

Ok, I know that this recipe looks enormous. And it is. But the cake that you get at the end is totally worth the effort.  The delicacy of the layers and flavors combine together to make a stunning cake that will be sure to wow even the most picky holiday guest. It has a great chocolate, hazelnut flavor without being overly sweet. It is rich but not overwhelming. Overall, the perfect cake. 

cake 2

Chocolate Hazelnut Crepe Cake (from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook)

Crepes:

  • 9 tbsp unsalted butter (used for both crepes and pastry cream)
  • 2 1/3 cups milk
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp melted butter or other neutral oil

Hazelnut Pastry Cream:

  • 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tsp hazelnut liqueur, such as Frangelico
  • 1/2 tsp table salt
  • 3 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 7 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 5 tbsp cornstarch
  • Butter reserved from the crepes

Candied Hazelnuts:

  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • Pinch of salt
  • Hazelnuts reserved from pastry cream above

Chocolate Draping:

  • 6 oz (about a cup) semisweet chocolate
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp hazelnut liqueur

Make the crepe batter – In a small sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it’s melted, reduce the heat to medium low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden, and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir the butter frequently, scraping up any buts from the bottom as you do. Do not take your eyes off the pot. It browns in less than a minute then quickly burns. Remove the butter from the heat once it turns frown and nutty smelling. Transfer it to a bowl and let cool to a lukewarm temperature.

In a blender, combine the milk, eggs, flour, salt, granulated sugar, and 6 tbsp of the cooled browned butter. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or up to 2 days.

Toast and skin hazelnuts – Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking sheet, and toast them for 10 minutes, rolling them around once or twice so they toast evenly. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn but let them get some color.

Let the hazelnuts cool. Roll them between your hands to remove the skins. Do this over a baking sheet or something similar so it will catch the husks.

Make the hazelnut pastry cream – In a food processor, grind 1 cup of the toasted hazelnuts (set aside the last 1/3 cup aside for decorating), confectioners’ sugar, liqueur, and salt together. It will at first make a ruckus, then will grind to a coarse chop followed by a powder. Keep running the machine until the powder begins to come together in damp-looking crumbs that combine in small clumps, and then stop. If you keep running the machine, it will turn into hazelnut butter.

In a saucepan, combine the hazelnut paste, milk, and sugar over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring a bit so it doesn’t scorch. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks and cornstarch until smooth. Stream a small spoonful of the hot milk into the egg yolk bowl while whisking. Repeat this a few times with additional spoonfuls of the hot milk. By the time you have done five or six additions, you’ll find that the egg yolk bowl is hot; this is how you know you have added enough. Now go in reverse, slowly pouring the warm egg yolk mixture back into the hot milk in the saucepan, whisking the whole time, until the two are combined. Return the saucepan to the stove and, continuing to whisk, bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 2 minutes; the mixture should thicken upon boiling, to a loose pudding consistency. Remove from the heat, and stir in the reserved 3 tablespoons of browned butter from the crepe better recipe. Transfer it to a bowl, press a piece of plastic against the top of the custard and chill in the fridge until fully chilled.

Make Crepes – Preheat a medium (9 inch) skillet or crepe pan over medium high heat. Once it’s heated, brush pan lightly with melted butter. Pour 1/4 cup batter into the skillet, swirling it until it evenly coats the bottom, and cook, undisturbed, until the bottom is golden and the top is set, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip (look for the driest-looking and darkest edge, lift it gently with a spatula so that it gets a second to cool and use your fingers to help flip it over) and allow to cook for another 5 to 10 seconds. According to Deb, the first couple will probably not turn out and there is no need to worry. They are a cook’s snack and the rest will turn out ok once you hit your crepe making stride. Continue making the crepes, transferring the finished crepes to a paper towel covered plate to cool. Continue with the remaining batter. The batter yields 19 9-inch crepes; the pastry cream volume is enough for the 16 that will probably make it.

DSC_1076

Assemble the cake – Lay the first crepe on your cake stand or plate. Spread with 1/4 cup pastry cream. Repeat with all the remaining crepes but the last one, which will act as the cake’s lid. Chill the cake in the fridge until you’re ready to coat it in chocolate.

Candy hazelnuts – Spread out a piece of parchment paper on your counter, and have a set of tweezers ready. In a small, heavy saucepan, cook sugar and water together over high heat until the sugar melts and begins to turn a pale beige color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the hazelnuts, rolling them around to coat. The caramel will look a shade darker while you do this, a light copper color. Once it has, remove the mixture from the heat. Remove the hazelnuts one by one with the tongs, spreading them out on the parchment so they don’t touch. Cool them until they fall right off the parchment.

Make the chocolate draping – Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream and liqueur to a simmer in a small saucepan and pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute, then stir until smooth. If this wasn’t enough heat to create a very thick but still (barely) pourable smooth mixture, put a little water in the sucepan that previously heated the cream, bring it to a simmer, place the bowl of chocolate and cream over it, and stir it until it thins and smooths out to desired consistency.

cake

To finish – Remove the chilled crepe cake from the fridge. Pour chocolate mixture over the top, spread with your spatula to cover the top crepe, gently nudging the chocolate over the edges in a few places. Decorate the top with the candied hazelnuts. Set the cake in the fridge until needed. Makes 16 servings.

*Please note my apologies for the varying quality of the photos. I spent the holiday away from home so light was troublesome.*

My Virtual Thanksgiving

24 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by annashortcakes in Kentucky Proud

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

collection, holiday, recipe, Thanksgiving, virtual

As you read this, I have already eaten THREE Thanksgiving dinners! And there is another pending. I have already gotten out my fat pants and am attempting to accept that I will have to work out extra in between now and Christmas. But I cannot turn down this delicious food. I just don’t have the mental strength.

I am not cooking this year. Instead, I will show you the dinner I would prepare. It’s glorious.

A Brined Turkey from Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide (isn’t it stunning?!)

Cornbread Dressing from Southern Living (this is the only dressing worth my time!)

Wild Rice Gratin with Kale, Caramelized Onions, and Baby Swiss from AnnShortcakes

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DSC_1003

Brussels Sprouts Gratin from Simply Recipes (can’t wait to make these!)

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes by Williams and Sonoma

Sweet Potatoes from The Girl Who Ate Everything

The Cocktail from OKRA

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing from Taste of Home

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

A Simpler Holiday Season

23 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by annashortcakes in Kentucky Proud

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Christmas, holiday, holiday season, seasonal, simple, Thanksgiving, traditional

In the past, I have been a self-described Grinch when it comes to Christmas. In fact, the Grinch in me says “No posts about Christmas before Thanksgiving, dummy! Celebrate one holiday at a time!” But there are only four weeks before the big day and I am trying my best to get in the spirit.

Christmas seems so overly commercialized these days.  Nothing like the Christmases of my memory. And all the hype on TV just seems so much like a Pottery Barn catalog that there is no way my somewhat dysfunctional family could ever live up to its cheerful, glittery perfection. Though we sit around a food covered table every Christmas, it is not beautifully appointed with amaryllis blossoms, seasonal evergreen boughs, and brightly burning candles. Nor are we as gorgeous as the people featured in those advertisements.

Instead, we eat off dishes my grandmother uses every day (as has for the last 30+ years). None of the food is transferred from their cook pots to serving bowls or platters. We do not own a gravy boat or placemats. Or silver. Or crystal. And, you know what, there is nothing wrong with that!

It took me a few years but I have figured out how I can have a happy Christmas, knowing that it will never be “perfect.” It starts by going back to the basics. What does Christmas mean to YOU?

Christmas means…

Fun– Decorating sugar cookies and gingerbread houses. Playing in the snow. Making paper snowflakes. Decorating the tree and the house. Going see a live nativity scene. Walking around the neighborhood to check out the neighborhood lights, taking a hike, playing pool or ping pong. Cut your own tree. Make a new wreath for your front door.

Food– Homemade candies and cookies. Comfort food like your grandmother’s mashed potatoes, your aunt’s cranberry sauce, your favorite ham recipe, the macaroni and cheese that your family has always made. Perhaps a seasonal cocktail.

Family– Get together. Play games. Talk (maybe not about politics or religion, though). Take pictures of each other and the fun.  Honor the memories of those who have already passed away. Embrace your faith’s Christmas traditions like the advent wreath or Midnight Mass.

Regardless of how you celebrate, if you concentrate on the simple things in life, you will have a happy holiday season. Now start making your list of things to do this season that will celebrate what Christmas means to you!

Photos credits: Here, here, here, here, and here

Baked Brie with Mushrooms and Onions

08 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by annashortcakes in Appetizers

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

appetizer, baked, brie, celebrate, food, holiday, mushrooms, new years, onions

I love brie. The umami flavor is one of my favorites. Combined with the mushrooms, onions, garlic and wine, this cheese appetizer is divine. I love that it does not include puff pastry or the like. With this recipe, the flavors shine through, unencumbered by extra breading.

DSC_0153

Baked Brie with Mushrooms and Onions

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 small wheel of brie
  • 1 baguette, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a pan. Saute onions until clear and starting to brown. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Saute until mushrooms are tender. Add wine and deglaze the pan. Cook until most of the juices are reduced. In a small oven safe dish, place the wheel of brie. Top with the mushrooms mixture. Bake for approx 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with slices of baguette.

Merry Christmas!

25 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by annashortcakes in Food Details

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

celebrate, Christmas, family, holiday, Southern

From My Family to Yours,

Merry Christmas!

DSC_0068

Happy New Year!

And thank you for such a wonderful year full of delicious food and wonderful friendships…

 

Breakfast Casserole

24 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by annashortcakes in Breakfast, Southern

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

breakfast, casserole, Christmas, food, holiday, morning, sausage, Southern, vegetables

Breakfast on Christmas morning should be tasty and quick. You don’t want to take too much time away from opening Santa’s presents. Any ingredient you would add to an omelet can be added to this casserole.

DSC_0134

Breakfast Casserole (from Old World Garden Farms)

  • 3 slices bread
  • 1/2 lb. ground sausage, cooked & drained
  • 1/8 c. yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 6 oz fresh mushrooms, sauteed
  • Large handful of spinach
  • 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • Black pepper to taste

In an 8×8 inch glass casserole dish, combine the bread, sausage, bell pepper, mushrooms, spinach, and cheese. In a bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. Pour over bread mixture. Refrigerate over night. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for about 40 to 45 minutes.

Taco Seasoning for Gift Giving

15 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by annashortcakes in Food Details, Mexican

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Christmas, DIY, gift, holiday, Mexican, mix, seasoning, taco

Chances are you don’t want to make taco seasoning one use at a time. It makes so much more sense to have a jar of pre-made seasoning. This recipe makes about 1 cup. Three tablespoons equals one packet of the purchase seasoning.

DSC_0113

Taco Seasoning for Gift Giving

  • 1/4 cup and 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1-1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1-1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 3 tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp black pepper
Combine all the seasonings and store in a dry place.

Coconut Almond Macaroons

11 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by annashortcakes in Dessert

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

chocolate, Christmas, coconut, cookies, dessert, gifts, holiday, macaroons

Here is a great recipe to help you use up all those left over egg whites from making your lemon curd. I made several large batches to give to the neighbors. I hope they like them.

On a side note, use a squeeze bottle to pipe the chocolate onto the cookies. I had always heard of doing that but never tried it. It is way better than using a ziploc bag or a fork to drizzle. It is much more controlled and clean up is minimal. Any left over chocolate can just be stored in the bottle. The ease of application and cleanup is definitely worth the $3 for the bottle.

DSC_0108

Coconut Almond Macaroons

  • 1 (14 oz) packages sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 4 large egg whites at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 tbsp vegetable shortening

In a stand-up mixer, combine sugar and egg whites. Beat until they reach medium peaks. In another bowl, combine condensed milk, coconut, almond extract, and salt. When egg whites are ready, fold in the coconut mixture. Spoon in 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp amounts onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. When done, remove immediately from the pan and onto a cooling rack.

When cookies are completely cooled, they can be decorated. In a small saucepan, melt together the chocolate chips and the shortening. Pour into squeeze bottle. Decorate macaroons as desired. Allow chocolate to harden before storing in an air-tight container.

Cranberry-Lime Infused Vodka

10 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by annashortcakes in Cocktails/Beverages

≈ 23 Comments

Tags

beverage, Christmas, cocktail, cranberry, holiday, infused, lime, vodka

I discovered this recipe via a “Homemade Christmas Gifts” collection on Pinterest. I know some of my foodie friends will really enjoy this gift. The green and red of the lime and cranberries are so festive, especially with the snowy white sugar sprinkled throughout.

DSC_0102

Cranberry-Lime Infused Vodka (thanks to fancy napkin)

  • 2 16 oz glass bottles with toppers (mine have corks)
  • 1 bag fresh cranberries
  • 2 limes, peeled with as little pith as possible
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • Vodka

Using a knife, pierce each cranberry so the vodka can seep into the berries. Alternately fill each bottle with the cranberries and the lime peels. When bottle is full of berries, add sugar. Pour vodka into the bottle until full. Allow to sit and mature for 2 weeks to a month. Be sure to shake the bottles every couple of days to help the flavors meld.

You can use this vodka for these crantinis or any other cranberry cocktail.

Busy Busy December!

29 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by annashortcakes in Food Details

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Christmas, consumerism, DIY, gift, holiday, homemade

Wow! I am overwhelmed just thinking about the Christmas holiday. So much to do, so little time. I have to confess I have been a bit of a crab in the past about Christmas. Christmas is supposed to focus our minds on love, peace, family time together, etc. Instead it seems that everything is focused on the consumerism that is the holiday season. My local Kmart had decorations out before Halloween! Good grief! Can we please celebrate one holiday at a time?!?!?

Now we have passed Halloween and Thanksgiving on the calendar. Time to celebrate Christmas. Remember when we had real cranberry garlands? When children were so excited to watch Charlie Brown’s Christmas and drink homemade hot chocolate? When it was more about the events and the fun playing with your cousins/friends than the belongings we soon would acquire? When an orange was still an appreciated gift?  I plan to focus on the love, peace, and family time even more than ever before and to combat consumerism with a vengeance. I am going to make the great majority of my gifts. The few exceptions are the books for my grandparents (books are always a good and lasting gift that promise the receiver many years of enjoyment).

For the ladies in my family I hope to make some sort of sugar/salt scrub. Who doesn’t like spa days? For the cooks in my family, both male and female, I plan to give lemon curd, the pear jams I made (here and here), and taco seasoning mix. For my neighbors and co-workers, I will put together a candy box full of homemade candy like these chocolate covered caramels, bourbon truffles, and dark chocolate butter crunch. Don’t those seem like better gifts than the junk you don’t know you want or need? Gifts from the heart are gifts I want to give and receive. Not gifts made anonymously in a foreign country with more bright lights and promises of distraction from the most important thing in your life- those you love.

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