Gwtting To Know Hazelnuts

Nuts are such a big part of holiday baking. Usually its almonds and walnuts that shine. They grace everything from cakes and cookies to brownies. Yet there's another nut that gives baked good a sweet , luxurioous taste - hazelnuts. These little gems can be used to amp up chocolate cookies r give elegance to homemade tortes.

Most people are familiar with the nut through Nutella, that hazelnut - chocolate spread. This has been around since 1964 and was invented by the Ferrero Company of Alba Piemonte, Italy.The hazelnut figures large in Piedmontese baking especially with the baci de damage or lady's kiss, a hazelnut shortbread sandwich with a rich cocoa filling. Coffee lovers know it from it flavoring either coffee or creamer.The nuts are a good addition to any dessert, not just because of their taste but also their health benefits. Hazelnuts are rich in protein , Vitamins E and B and foliate acid. They';re also rich in arginine ,a nutrient that helps prevent heart attack. Yet it's their flavor that secuces everyone and the fact it blends so well with such equally demanding ones such as chocolate.Keep in mind they are delicate and can go rancid very quickly.They have to be stored in the freezer once their container is opened to keep them, You would think this freezes them but thanks to their high oil quality, they 're just as crunchy and tasty as room temperature ones.

Hazelnuts are the perfect oomph for double chocolate chip cookies. This is the recipe that has been on my radar ever since I bought a container from Lidl. Imagine a buttery homemade chocolate cookie with a taste that's been heightened by chopped hazelnuts. They'll be reminiscent of that great Piedmontese candy Baci gianduja from Perugina where it's trifecta of a whole hazelnut atop nocciola- hazelnut and cocoa creme and then enrobed in chocolate.The Baci de damage also are a great cookie to make.They are labor intensive though because the hazelnuts have to be first roasted and ground. They're added to a shortbread like dough that doesn't require any eggs. Once the cookies are baked and cooled , the filling is added.This is just melted chocolate chips (whether it;s milk or dark, that;s up to you)The Labor comes from rolling out the dough in long cords and them cutting it into small rounds for baking. Another holiday idea is a hazelnut torte , the perfect ending for any party. There are some wonderful ones with a dense , fudgey crumb, You could also make a hazelnut cake layered with a chocolate hazelnut frosting and filling.

Hazelnuts should have a seat at the holiday dessert table.They are perfect in cakes and cookies with their war buttery flavor. They'll be a welcome addition to any treat.

A Romantic Alpine Meal

 Unfortunately a ski week in the Alps is off the table for some of us. However  you can still have romantic food of the Alpine villages.The recipes can easily be made in your kitchen.

One of the most romantic dinners for two is fondue. It's nice to have the set, complete with the forks but you really don't need to. This classic Swiss dish  can be cooked on the stove top. Just use a heavy bottomed pan.  Set up a trivet or tile with tea lights underneath when you bring it to the table. (or just place a heavy pot holder on the table and then set the pot on top of it). Fondue is a cooked mix of Emmenthaler and  Gruyere cheeses flavored with white wine and a splash of  kirsch, the cherry liqueur.  You could add a clove of garlic for more flavor.  Once melted the fun starts with dipping  in chunks of French bread. You can also put in boiled and cut fingerling potatoes. A fun Valentine's Day meal comes from the Bavarian Alps. Think air fried wursts with mustard and pretzel bites with a good yeasty beer. A great dessert is kratizika or Kaiserschmarnn or scrambled pancake. It's making the pancake without baking powder. Whisked egg whites lift the batter into an airiness. The pancakes are cooked , then shredded. They can be be served with apple sauce but since it's Valentine's Day, sprinkle some apple jack on top.

The Italian Alps give us an array of romantic dishes perfect for the day. One of the lushest is bagna cauda. This can be made in a fondue pot on on  the stove. It literally means hot bath and is a tasty bubbling sauce of anchovies, melted with olive oil, butter and garlic. Savoy cabbage is usually one of the veggies cooked in it but you can also cook rare London broil cut into bite size pieces. Squares of Italian bread are a must here , especially after you've cooked the meat in it. The bread can sop up the flavorful mix of juices and bagna cauda - which is just a heavenly taste. How can you top this off? With chocolate cups filled with the Alpine city of Torino's signature candy  gianduja. It may have a fancy name but gianduja is easy to whip up. It';s a forerunner of Nutella and probably influenced the inventors.It's been around since the mid 1800's and the recipe hasn't changed. It's combining skinned hazelnuts, dark chocolate, sugar, butter and heavy cream. The hazelnuts are roasted and then pulsed with sugar. The chocolate is melted in the microwave and then blended with the butter, cream and hazelnut mixture. iIll chocolate cups with this or even use as a filling for cakes or cupcakes.

You don;t; have to go to the Alps for a romantic, snowy dinner. You can easily make the food of any of the Alps, Italian, German Swiss or French for a sweet Valentine's Day meal. It's a fun getaway in your kitchen or dining room.