Chocolate Hazelnut Smooches

Name: Chocolate Hazelnut Smooches
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 50
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 2 Tbsps Amaretto or other nut liqueur, or dark rum (optional); 2 teaspoons baking soda; 454 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely; 454 grams tempered chocolate for dipping; 170 grams whole hazelnuts; 237 milliliters heavy cream; 59 milliliters sugar; 2 Tbsps unsalted butter

Chocolate Hazelnut Smooches is a gluten free hor d'oeuvre. This recipe serves 50. One serving contains 146 calories, 2g of protein, and 11g of fat. This recipe covers 3% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. Head to the store and pick up hazelnuts, baking soda, heavy cream, and a few other things to make it today. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes roughly 45 minutes.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Bring large pot of water to a boil and add the baking soda. Drop in the hazelnuts, bring back to a boil, and blanch 10 seconds.

Ingredients you will need

Baking Soda

Hazelnuts

Water

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Pot

Drain hazelnuts in a colander, then spread out on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Ingredients you will need

Hazelnuts

Spread

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Baking Sheet

Colander

Place in oven and roast 8 to 10 minutes until light brown.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Remove from oven, place a kitchen towel over the pan, and allow to cool completely.

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Kitchen Towels

Oven

Frying Pan

Rub cooled hazelnuts between your palms; the skins should slip right off. Set aside 50 whole hazelnuts. Grind the rest very fine in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and set aside.

Ingredients you will need

Hazelnuts

Dry Seasoning Rub

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Food Processor

Place sugar and heavy cream in a medium pot and bring to a boil.

Ingredients you will need

Heavy Cream

Sugar

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Pot

Add the chopped chocolate, let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.

Ingredients you will need

Chocolate

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Whisk

Whisk in the butter.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

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Whisk

Pour the ganache into the bowl of an electric mixer and allow to cool until set. Fit the machine with a paddle and beat the set ganache on medium speed until aerated and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the reserved ground hazelnuts and the liqueur if using. Beat well to thoroughly combine.

Ingredients you will need

Hazelnut Meal

Liqueur

Equipment you will use

Hand Mixer

Bowl

Load mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Pipe out 1/2-inch balls. On top of each ball, press in one of the reserved whole toasted hazelnuts until it is halfway buried.

Ingredients you will need

Hazelnuts

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Pastry Bag

Place pan in refrigerator to chill completely.

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Frying Pan

To coat, place tempered chocolate in a medium bowl. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Get yourself 2 forks.

Ingredients you will need

Chocolate

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Bowl

Place one nut-topped ball on the prongs of one fork, nut up. Lower the fork into the melted chocolate, covering completely. Lift fork up, pause 3 seconds to allow excess chocolate to drip off, then run bottom of fork along top of bowl to remove excess chocolate.

Ingredients you will need

Chocolate

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Place fork on paperlined pan and use second fork to push off the candy while you withdraw the first fork (it's easier than it sounds). Keep the nut up at all times. Repeat with remaining centers. If it's warm out, place the finished candies in the refrigerator to set; otherwise they will set at cool room temperature (65 degrees).

Ingredients you will need

Candy

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Both of these candies make great Christmas presents packed into little boxes or baskets. They are involved but can be done easily in large batches. One day of work can yield many gifts. You can make a double of triple batch of truffle ganache and divide it, beating different flavorings into different parts.

Ingredients you will need

Candy