Nuts in the Kitchen (21 page)

Hazelnut Cakes—Financiers

Makes about twenty-one 1¾ × 3½-inch (4 × 9-cm) financiers

I include the French name of this well-loved cookie,
financier,
because it is almost mythical among cake and cookie lovers. Named for its shape—the same as a gold brick—this little cake is traditionally made with ground almonds. You’ll find this hazelnut version even more delicious than the original, and I based this recipe on one that I helped develop when I was working on the
Food Lover’s Guide to Paris
with Patricia Wells.

Note:
If you don’t have financier molds, which are rectangular and quite heavy, you may use madeleine molds or cupcake tins. Just be sure to butter them well and be careful about the baking time. The yield, too, is likely to change.

1.
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Using a pastry brush, thoroughly butter about twenty-one individual financier molds using some of the melted butter intended for the financiers. Arrange the molds side by side but not touching on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet with the molds in the freezer so the butter solidifies and so the financiers unmold easily.

2.
In a large bowl, combine the hazelnut flour, confectioners’ sugar, all-purpose flour, and salt. Mix to blend. Add the egg whites and mix until thoroughly blended. Add the remaining melted butter and mix until thoroughly blended. The mixture will be fairly thin.

3.
Pour or spoon the batter into the molds, lling them almost to the rim. Place the baking sheet in the center of
the oven. Bake until the financiers are pale gold and begin to firm up, about 7 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the financiers to sit in the warm oven for 7 minutes.

4.
Remove the financiers from the oven and let them cool in the molds for 10 minutes, then unmold them onto a cooling rack to cool completely. These financiers are best the day they are made.

Coconut, Pistachio, and Chocolate Macaroons

Makes about 45 cookies

I must thank my friend and colleague David Lebovitz for this confection, though I do take credit for the pistachio nuts, which add their incomparable color and flavor to what was already one of the best-ever sweets. These are so simple, so luscious, and so professional looking that you’ll be very proud to make and serve them. I sent this recipe to Marion Pruitt, my good friend and colleague and U.S. recipe tester. When she read that the cookies would keep for a week, her response was the following: “You must be kidding! These won’t keep for ‘about one week’! Made them last night with a yield of forty-three, and half were gone by this morning. There are only two people living here (that I know of).”

Note:
The recipe calls for unsweetened coconut, which is available at health food and specialty stores. If you can find only salted pistachios, simply drop them into boiling water, remove and drain them, let them dry for an hour or so, and proceed with the recipe.

The dough for these cookies will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

1.
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, mix together the egg whites, vanilla sugar, salt, honey, coconut, flour, and pistachios. Stir the mixture frequently until it softens and becomes somewhat runny, then stir it almost constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan, until it dries out and pieces of it begin to turn golden—15 minutes total. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer the mixture to a piece of parchment paper set on a work surface to cool to room temperature. At this point, you may refrigerate the dough.

2.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

3.
Using a generous teaspoon of the dough, form small balls that you flatten on one side and bring to a round point on the other so that each little cookie looks like a wide cone. Place the cookie on a prepared baking sheet, leaving about ½ inch (1.25 cm) between cookies, until you have used all the dough. Bake until the cookies are deep golden brown, about 16 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack, and let cool completely.

4.
While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When the cookies are cool, dip the flat bottoms into the chocolate and swirl it slightly so the chocolate climbs up the side of the cookie just a bit, then set the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. When the chocolate has hardened, either serve the cookies or store them in an airtight container. The cookies will keep for about 1 week.

Rocky Road

Makes many pieces!

David Lebovitz, infinitely creative pastry chef, friend, and co-teacher, made this recipe for my two children the first time he came to visit. They’ve loved him ever since! And I loved learning how simple it is to make such a great candy, but I prefer to make my own marshmallows. If you lack the time, the courage, the machine, or the ingredients, just buy marshmallows and make this. Your family, your friends, your colleagues—all will fall to their knees with pleasure.

Note:
It is vital, when melting chocolate, not to cover it, as condensation forms on the inside of a cover and will drip into the chocolate and “freeze” it.

Try any salted nut here that appeals to you, or use a mix of several varieties.

1.
Line a baking sheet or pan with parchment paper.

2.
To melt the chocolate, place it in the top of a double boiler. Place the double boiler over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and leave the chocolate to melt, uncovered. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly so it isn’t blistering hot.

3.
Transfer the chocolate to a large bowl and add the nuts, marshmallows, and cocoa nibs, if using, folding them into the chocolate until they are well mixed.

4.
Turn out the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out as much as possible. Leave it to
cool at room temperature, then cut it into pieces. Serve immediately or store in airtight containers kept in a very cool place. It is not necessary to refrigerate the rocky road, which will keep well for about 10 days.

Peanut and Sesame Brittle

Makes about 2½ pounds (1.25 kg)

Caramel, peanuts, and sesame seeds combine to make this version of an American favorite. I love the crunch of this and its tiny bite of salt, which highlights the toasty nuts and seeds.

Note:
The sesame seeds are added with the baking soda to prevent them from overcooking.

1.
Butter a large (at least 2½-foot/76-cm square) heat-resistant surface such as marble or granite.

2.
Mix the vanilla sugar and corn syrup with ½ cup (125 ml) water and the salt in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns golden and reaches the hard ball stage (about 265°F/130°C) on a candy thermometer, up to 10 minutes.

3.
Add the butter and peanuts, stir, and return to a boil. Cook until the mixture reaches the hard crack stage (about 310°F/155°C), another 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame seeds and baking soda. The mixture will bubble up, so stir vigorously to calm it down. Let the mixture sit for about 30 seconds to allow it to quit bubbling entirely, then pour it out onto the prepared surface.

4.
Immediately spread out the mixture as thin as you can, using a metal or wooden spatula. Don a pair of thick rubber gloves and, as the brittle cools but before it gets
hard, begin pulling on it from every direction to stretch it, distribute the peanuts evenly, and give it a shiny gold luster and brittle texture. It should stretch to almost double its original size.

5.
When the brittle is cooled and hard, break it into pieces. It will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container stored in a cool place.

Pistachio Ice Cream

Makes 1 quart (1 liter)

The beauty of this ice cream is its rich and mellow pistachio flavor and color, which is a natural deep ivory rather than the artificially bright green we’re used to seeing in pistachio ice cream. Creamy and satisfying, this ice cream is delicious right after it is made, when still in the “soft serve” state, or several hours later, when it has had a chance to harden a bit.

Note:
I ask you to strain the custard before you turn it in the ice cream maker so that the crushed nuts don’t stop the ice cream maker from working. This nugget of wisdom comes from experience—the paddles on my very efficient little ice cream maker simply won’t turn beyond any chunks or bumps, and I assume your machine is the same. I suggest you stir the nuts back into the ice cream so they can add not only their flavor but also their texture. In all the tests of this ice cream that I have done, it’s the version with the nuts that wins the flavor prize!

1.
Crush the pistachios to a paste using a mortar and pestle with the salt and ¼ cup (50 g) of the sugar.

2.
Place the pistachio mixture in a heavy saucepan with the half-and-half and whisk them together. Place the saucepan over medium heat and scald the half-and-half. Remove from the heat, cover, and let infuse for 1 hour.

3.
Set a large bowl near the burner where you are making the custard.

4.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1 cup (200 g) of sugar until they are thick and
pale yellow. Slowly whisk the warm half-and-half and pistachios into the egg yolk and sugar mixture, then transfer that mixture to a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly in a figure-eight pattern, cook the custard until it thickens and allows the utensil you are using to glide easily across the bottom of the pan. If this takes longer than 10 minutes, increase the heat slightly, but be sure not to boil the mixture or it will curdle.

5.
When the custard is thick, immediately pour it into the large bowl. Let the custard cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until it is chilled.

6.
To make the ice cream, first strain the custard so the crushed nuts don’t inhibit the action of the ice cream maker, then follow the ice cream manufacturer’s instructions for turning ice cream. If you want the texture of the crushed nuts in the ice cream, simply stir them back into the ice cream once it is solid.

Nougat Glacé

Makes 10 to 12 servings

This is certainly a bit of heaven on a plate—and so easy to make. I got the recipe from my friend Eloise Perret, a passionate home cook who is undaunted by any recipe she finds. This is one of the best she has ever sent my way. Filled with crisp, caramelized almonds and pine nuts, studded with delicious dried fruit, and perfumed with orange flower water, it is both ethereally light and delicate and stunningly satisfying. The first time I served this to my wine-tasting group, I thought they would riot over the slices left in the pan. So I say this serves ten to twelve, but it really depends on the voraciousness of the appetites present!

Note:
Traditionally, nougat glacé is served with a raspberry sauce, which is delightful. I prefer to serve this perfect nougat on its own, however, with just a few fresh berries sprinkled around it. If you don’t have fresh berries, use frozen that you’ve let thaw just slightly. And if you don’t have either, serve this on its own. I call for dried apricots here. I get them unsulfured, from Turkey, and they can be a bit hard, so I cover them with boiling water for about 2 minutes, drain and pat them dry, then coarsely chop them. You can find orange flower water at thespicehouse.com

1.
Oil a baking sheet or heatproof work surface. Line two 9 × 5 × 3-inch (23 × 13 × 8-cm) loaf pans with plastic wrap, leaving plenty hanging over the edges.

2.
Place the sugar and ½ cup (125 ml) water in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk them together. The mixture will first simmer, then as it thickens it will begin to bubble stickily. You don’t need to hover over it until it begins to turn golden. At that point, stay close, as it
can go from golden to black very quickly, and what you are looking for is a deep golden color. The minute it is deep golden, stir in the almonds and pine nuts; the mixture will tend to clump, but keep stirring so the caramel coats all the nuts. Turn out the mixture onto the oiled baking sheet or surface, spread it out as best you can, then let it cool. When it is thoroughly cool, slip it into a double plastic bag and crush it by hitting it with a rolling pin. What you are looking for is unevenness—some clumps of whole caramelized almonds and some dust.

3.
In a large bowl, whisk the cream into stiff peaks, then whisk in the orange flower water and reserve, chilled.

4.
Heat the honey until it is nearly at the boiling point and remove from the heat. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites with the salt until they are white and making soft points. Pour the hot honey into the egg whites as they are whisked, until the egg whites are glossy and stiff. Be careful not to pour the hot honey right onto the whisk, or it will spatter.

5.
To assemble the nougat, fold the crushed and caramelized nougatine into the whipped cream along with the dried fruits, then fold the egg whites into the fruit and nut mixture. Turn out half the mixture into each of the prepared loaf pans. Gently fold the edges of the plastic wrap over the nougat and place the pans in the freezer to freeze for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. This will keep in the freezer for up to 1 week, tightly wrapped.

6.
To serve, unwrap the nougat and turn it out onto either a cutting board or a serving plate and slice it into serving-sized pieces. Garnish it with the berries, if using. Serve immediately, while it is still thoroughly chilled.