"Filbertella" Dairy-Free Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Filbertella

(Vegan Hazelnut Chocolate Butter)

Adapted from Vitamix by Blue Heron Kitchen

If you own a Vitamix or a similar quality blender (or if you’ve been given one during this holiday season), take a break from smoothies and plain nut butters. Here’s a seriously indulgent, gift-giving-worthy, dairy-free killer chocolate nut-butter.

Making the hard caramel candy is a cinch. If you have a Silpat (silicone baking pad), even cinchier. If you don’t have silicone, line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper (or foil). Truc: as the syrup begins to darken and turn a nice, rich, golden caramel color, remove it from the burner. Here is a situation where time keeps on slippin’ into the future. Because it’s so bloody hot, sugar syrup temperature continues to rise, even off the burner. And for goodness sake, don’t text while you make candy. Pour it onto the sheet and quickly tilt to allow it to spread thinly. It’ll be quick to cool and will be perfectly crisp.

(FYI: This is the beginning of making praline! – from here, you’d stir in nuts to the caramel, spread it out, cool it and grind it up! – then, fold your praline into meringue for a divine nut meringue !)

Use excellent quality hazelnuts. If you can find Italian hazelnuts that are already skinned and roasted, you’ll be doing the Teaberry shuffle while your Vitamix rolls up its sleeves. I found them at Fairway. There’s a great Italian market in Chelsea Market .. or go to Arthur Avenue (and have a slice at Full Moon.) Mis en place and roast and skin them a day or two or three before. I keep a jar of skinned hazelnuts in my kitchen at all times. You should too. Granted, this is a larger quantity than a jar. But it’s yontif and nothing is small this time of year.

For cocoa, I recommend Valrhona or Guittard for the finest chocolate flavor. I opted for some lovely French walnut oil. You can use hazelnut oil. If you have neither, use a flavorless or 'fruity' oil. Extra virgin olive oil will be too heavy. Always use excellent quality, pure vanilla extract. I always use Baldwin’s. Always use excellent quality ingredients.

This is a unique and splendid gift. Bring it to your host with an excellent baguette or with a dozen croissants. Bag up a small jar with a breakfast brioche as you say goodbye to your holiday party guests.

Or treat yourself and your family: smear it on bread, on bananas or apples, spoon some on pancakes, waffles or French toast, or lighten it with whipped cream (oops, there goes the vegan) and pipe it into cream puffs. Sandwich it between two plain cookies, or use it as the chocolate for s’mores. Then, there’s the spoon approach.

You may never buy another jar of Nutella again.

This one’s for my long-gone Wheaten Terrier, Hazel.

peace and love,

jane

Ingredients:

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

½  cup (120 ml) water

4 cups (540 g) raw hazelnuts (or toasted/skinned hazelnuts and skip steps 1,2 and 3)

½  cup (43 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (Valrhona or Guittard recommended)

1 ½  tsp. pure vanilla extract (I recommend Baldwin’s)

2 Tbsp. (30 ml) walnut or hazelnut oil

pinch of kosher salt

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

1.    Place hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until the skins are almost black and the meat is dark brown, about 15 minutes. Stir the nuts halfway through baking to ensure an even color.

2.    To remove skins, wrap cooled hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel. Rub until most of the skins come off.

3.    Line a baking sheet with foil.

4.    Combine sugar and water in a 3 to 4 cup (720-960 ml) saucepan. Cover and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the lid and wipe down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush or a scrunched-up paper towel dipped in water. Cover and cook for 2 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Uncover and cook until the syrup looks like pale amber maple syrup.

5.    Immediately pour the caramel onto the lined baking sheet. Tilt the sheet to spread the caramel as thinly as possible. Let harden completely, about 15 minutes.

6.    Break cooled caramel candy into small pieces and place into the Vitamix container and secure lid.

7.    Select Variable 1.

8.    Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 5.

9.    Blend for 15 seconds. Stop machine and remove lid.

10. Add the nuts to the Vitamix container and secure lid.

11. Select Variable 1.

12. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.

13. Blend for 1 minute, using the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades. Stop machine and remove lid to scrape down the sides. Continue blending until nuts are free flowing.

14. Add remaining ingredients to the Vitamix container and secure lid.

15. Select Variable 1.

16. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.

17. Blend for 2 minutes (or less) using the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades, until you’ve achieved desired consistency.

Chocolate Superstorm Globs

Updated by Blue Heron Kitchen

It’s hurricane season! Make these and have a batch in your freezer for this year’s Superstorm! They’ll last longer than ice cream, the nuts will supply you with protein and the chocolate, with much needed endorphins. You might want to double the recipe because you’ll wind up scarfing a batch down when you see your next LIPA/Con Ed/whatever your power company is bill. We’re paying the piper because we’ve missed the power boat. (Raise your hand if since “Sandy” you now own a solar powered, hand crank radio, an external charger, a better quality, more efficient lighting source … something.) But chocolate counts as alternative power source (do we get tax credit?),

Use excellent quality chocolate. It matters. Use any of these chocolates, and you’ll make any chocolate lover forever yours: Scharffenberger unsweetened chocolate, Valhrona semi-sweet, Guittard chips, Jacques Torres’ dark chocolate discs, chopped.

I have used both nuts, but you can stick to one. Always toast and cool your nuts before you bake. Toast them at 350º F. for about 6-8 minutes, until you can just smell them. Watch them carefully. If they burn, they’re toast. You can play around and try a combination of chopped chocolate, different nuts (the original recipe had walnuts and pecans) and even some dried fruit – try some dried cherries!

These globs freeze very well (until the lights go out). You can bake and freeze them between sheets of parchment or waxed paper (I love waxed paper) in plastic containers, tins or freezer bags. (For anyone with half a chocolate kupf, these are better frozen.)

peace, love and power up (or down),

jane

Ingredients:

5 oz. semisweet chocolate (Scharffenberger or another good quality chocolate)

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate (same as above)

4 oz. 83%, European style butter, at room temperature (Plugra brand is a good one)

¾ c. all-purpose, unbleached flour (King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill are good brands)

1 tsp. baking powder (I use Rumford)

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 eggs, size large, at room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (I use Baldwin’s Vanilla)

1 Tbsp. instant espresso powder

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ c. semisweet chocolate ‘chips’ (pre-chipped or chopped by you)

1/3 c. toasted and skinned hazelnuts, chopped

1/3 c. chopped almonds (first, toasted and cooled)

Procedure:

Here is where the mis en place brings you great satisfaction.

Carefully measure out all of the ingredients for this recipe. You’ll just dump one thing in after another and this recipe will feel like you’re on one of those shows on the TV Food Network.

1.  Put the semi and unsweetened chocolates and butter in a stainless bowl, large enough to accommodate them and set it atop a barely simmering pot of hot water. Take care that NO steam or hot water meets the chocolate/butter mixture. Stir and melt. Remove and set aside to COOL. It is critical that you allow for the chocolate and butter mixture to cool sufficiently or else you will wind up cooking your eggs.

2.  Preheat oven to 325º F. and line 3 baking sheets or ½ size sheet pans or jellyroll pans with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper (you should get some), grease the sheets with melted butter. Set aside.

3.  In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

4.  Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, vanilla and coffee powder until blended.

5.  Add granulated sugar and blend until thick. 1-2 minutes.

6.  Add the cooled , melted chocolate/butter mixture and blend another minute or two. Scrape down the bowl as necessary. (If you have a silicone beater blade, this won’t be necessary!)

7.  Add the flour mixture, mixing on low speed, until just incorporated. No more than that. Fold in the chocolate ‘chips’ and nuts by hand or with the mixer, on low speed.

8.  Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls (I use a small measured scoop), leaving a couple of inches between, onto the prepared sheets.

9. Bake, rotating the sheets,  between the racks, turning them too, about 10-13 minutes, until they rise slightly and form a thin crust. Immediately remove the cookies from the sheets (you can leave them on the parchment) and cool on a rack.       

Yield: 24-36 cookies                      

Hamantashen

Hamantashen

Adapted by Blue Heron Kitchen from

Joan Nathan’s “Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous” and

theshiksa.com

Hamantashen are triangular filled cookies that represent the ears of the Persian villain, Haman, in the story of Purim. In Hebrew, they're called "Oznei Haman".  Hamantashen have become a cookie-standard and can be spotted in bakery cases and are available, packaged in supermarkets, sold year-round. They're great. 

The earliest and ‘original’ fillings were probably ground poppy seeds, cooked with sugar and ground into a paste. But now, anything goes – even chocolate! There are recipes for composed fillings that combine poppy seeds, dried fruits and nuts and simpler ones (like mine). You can buy jars of Simon Fischer prune “lekvar” or apricot filling, and they’re really pretty good. You can personalize them by adding cinnamon and freshly grated orange zest.

This year, I made my own lekvar.

These cookies require some planning ahead and handwork.

If you have young children, make a prune-tini and have some fun together!

Leave ample time for the dough to get cold (at least a few hours, or preferably overnight). If you’re making the prune lekvar, same. Don’t use warm filling when forming the Hamantashen.

This cookie is buttery and worth its weight in shekels. However: if the dough becomes too warm, it will be a flaccid and impossible to work with.

Trucs!

    

If you’re not an experienced roller, use the alternate “3 cups” of flour (amount of flour calls for 2 ½ to 3 cups of flour). The dough will have a little more heft.

     

First sheet into the oven: no more than half a dozen to gauge your roll/fill/pinch prowess. 

     

Make sure the dough is thoroughly chilled (if you have the time, opt for chilling it overnight.)

     

Make sure there’s a a dusting of flour on the rolling surface as well as on the top of the dough. 

You don't need to turn the dough over.

     

Have a flat metal spatula, thin or wide, offset or straight. Periodically check that the dough isn’t adhering to the rolling surface by slipping the spatula under the dough.

     

The less you mess with the dough, the better. This is a universal truc.

     

Transfer the circles to the prepared sheets and if the dough has become too soft to work with, return them to the fridge for just a few minutes before proceeding.

If you've held the circles in the fridge for a while and the dough is too cold, it will crack when you're folding and pinching. Wait until it's pliable.

     

Don’t let the dough bully you. Make sure you and your kitchen are cool. You’re the boss.         

Understanding your cookie:

On Purim “Shalach Manot” is a tradition, the Jewish version of "trick or treat", where families send food baskets to other families. Hamantashen are frequently tucked into these baskets. On this holiday, children dress up like the super heroes from this historic battle. (I was always Queen Esther, duh) When my father was little (he grew up on the Lower East Side and in the Bronx), kids went from door to door, trick or treating, for pennies. Instead of "trick or treat for UNICEF!", when the door opened, they'd say (phonetically in Yiddish):

 Hont is Peerum morgan is ost! Gib mere a penny and varf mir a ross!

translated: “Today is Purim, tomorrow it’s not. Give me a penny and throw me out.”

Have a fantastic Purim!

zei gezunt,

jane

Cookie Dough for Hamantashen

Ingredients:

10 oz. (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (suggestions: Plugra, Kerrygold, Kate’s, or if in France, stop laughing)

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract (try Baldwin’s)

1 Tbsp. orange juice

2 ½-3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)

½ tsp. kosher salt

Procedure:

Mis-en-place: (that means to prep) dry ingredients by mixing together in a medium/large bowl the flour, baking powder and salt. Use a whisk to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until combined, scraping down as needed.

Add the egg, vanilla extract and orange juice and continue to mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy, but not ‘whipped’, scraping down, as needed.

Dump in the flour mixture and mix no more than until ingredients are combined.

Roll out about 18”-24” plastic wrap and with a spatula, transfer half the dough into the middle of the sheet. Flatten the dough into a rectangle and bringing the sides of the plastic wrap to the center and the top and bottom together, you’ll have a package ready for the fridge. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough.

Refrigerate for a several hours or overnight.

Prune Filling “Lekvar”

Yield is for a double recipe. Halve (or double) it!

This is a delicious filling for cookies, Danish pastries and it can be used as a spread on toast or in your Greek yogurt! I use it for my Grandma Bessie’s prune roll.

Ingredients:

1 pound dried, pitted prunes

½ cup water

½ cup orange juice

1” piece cinnamon stick

      (if you don’t have stick cinnamon, after you’ve puréed the mixture add some powdered, to taste!)

¼ tsp. kosher salt

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar

1 ½ tsp. grated orange zest (organic orange, best)

Procedure:

Put all ingredients into a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan

Bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for approximately 20-25 minutes.

Remove from heat, uncover; and let the mixture cool for about ½ an hour.

Remove the cinnamon stick and using an immersion blender (or you can pour the mixture into a food processor, but take care to not over-process the mixture), purée the prunes to a thick paste.

Cool completely before using as a filling for Hamantashen.

Refrigerated, lekvar  will keep forever weeks.

Making the Hamantashen:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. and line several sheet pans with parchment paper (or, alternatively, butter them.) Have a small dish of water and a pastry brush at hand. If you don’t have a pastry brush, I recommend you buy one. You can use your finger too. I tried both ways and preferred the brush. 

Roll dough to between 1/8” and ¼” thick.

Using a circle cookie cutter anywhere from 2” to 3” (depends on how big you like your cookies), cut circles and place them directly on the parchment lined sheets (no more than two sheets at a time, a dozen per sheet.)

If the dough has become soft, place the sheets in the fridge to firm up the circles, but if they become too firm, you won't be able to bring it up and pinch it into shape.

Brush the extreme outer edge of the circles with water (you can do this prior to or after you place the filling on the circle. I tried it both ways with pastry brush and finger. I prefer prior to,                                                                                                                                       with brush.)

 Place approximately ½ to 1 tsp. lekvar in the center of each circle.

Lift the edges up to form a triangle, gently pinching them together, leaving a small opening in the center.

Bake either one or two sheets at a time (two sheets: transfer them, top to bottom and front to back) for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Repeat with remaining dough.

Cool on racks. 

(The filling retains heat, so be careful, you shouldn't burn your mouth)

Yield is based upon size of circle, but figure about 3 to 4 dozen. 
These freeze well!

24 Feb. 2013
Thanks to my dear friend and former baker in crime, Janet, for her keen eye and loving support. 

The first paragraph's explanation of "Oznei Haman" (Haman's ears) has already elicited two comments, both arguing that the three-cornered shape symbolizes Haman's HAT. I've done a little snooping and there are more explanations than hats. One was that until King George III, nobody wore three-cornered hats! Another, "taschen" means pocket. Another? His clipped ears! One more ... the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Why not throw in the Trinity?!) 

You can add to this discussion in the comment section below!

jane