Ingredients (pretty similar, eh?)

• (reduced) 4 ounces whole wheat pastry flour
• (reduced) 1/2 ounce rice flour
• 1 1/2 ounces powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt
• (added) 1 3/4 ounces hazelnut meal or flour
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• (added) 3 to 4 teaspoons nut-flavored liqueur, like Frangelico
• extra sugar for sprinkling

Method

Basically the same as the whole wheat shortbread, except that I don’t sift the hazelnut meal with the other dry ingredients; I just add that separately to the processor bowl. Because the hazelnuts make the dough drier, I add liqueur at the end of the mixing phase, after the butter.

For another experiment, I might pan roast the hazelnut meal to deepen the nut flavor!

Hazelnut products aren’t too popular around here (defined as California, United States), which is sad. It’s more difficult to find things like hazelnut pastes and butters. One time I purchased some hazelnut butter, I think it was Kettle brand. Very disappointing: full of nut skins (hey, they remove the skins off nuts for peanut butter and almond butter; I expect no lesser standards) and gritty, not creamy.

A couple years ago, though, I found a rather expensive (at Whole Foods, unsurprisingly) jar of hazelnut praline spread from Spain, produced by Matíz in Andalucía. (Praline means caramelized sugar added, in contrast to the usually unsweetened nut butters.) More recently I’ve found the same available online, although not quite as outrageously priced. And even more recently, I learned about a New York company, American Almond, who produces hazelnut and pistachio pastes (in addition to almond paste) under its Love’n Bake brand. Interestingly, the domestic Love’n Bake stuff is more expensive than the imported Matíz stuff. Go figure.

Anyhow, I got myself a couple jars of the Matíz spread. What to do? Make frosting for cakes, of course! (If anyone has used the Love’n Bake pastes, I’d love hear your thoughts on its quality.)

This frosting turned out to be more like a ganache than a buttercream. Because of its oiliness (ground up nuts, y’know), I had to add more confectioner’s sugar to it compared with the mocha and chocolate frostings. Since this makes the frosting stiffer, I added more cream to make it spreadable.

Yields a whole lot, more than enough for a two-layer 9 inch cake.

The unavoidable next question: What’s the best way to use this praline spread to make hazelnut ice cream…?

Ingredients

• 1 cup hazelnut praline spread; this was the approximate amount from 1 jar of the Matíz brand, which weighed 9.8 ounces (280 grams).
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• a pinch of salt
• 6 ounces confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Method

1. Over low heat in a sauce pan, stir the hazelnut praline spread, butter, 1/2 cup of cream and salt until melted and free of lumps. Pour into a food processor.
2. Add the confectioner’s sugar to the food processor, then whirl until smooth. If you notice oil still separating out from the mixture, add more confectioner’s sugar. I also added another 1/4 cup of cream so that it wouldn’t be too stiff to spread, but add more if you want a softer frosting. It does firm up more as it cools.
3. Spread over layers of cake, or cupcakes.

Okay, so much for my rant. The point of this article is to explain how I correct such drink bugs. My experiments aren’t quite perfect, but they’re often tasty. I haven’t tried thickening agents like cornstarch or eggs, yet, but perhaps I’ll test that later on.

What follows are more guidelines than strict procedure. Have a hot chocolate recipe you love? Submit a link or description in the comments!

My main tools are a medium non-stick (Calphalon) sauce pan and a silicone whisk. The latter won’t scratch surfaces, yet works well for mixing and producing froth. Such a whisk costs from US$10 to US$20, the best ones having stainless steel (not plastic) wires and metal handle, where the wires have been seamlessly coated in silicone. You can find them at Crate and Barrel or Bed, Bath and Beyond.

The amounts are for two servings.

Primary ingredients

• 1 1/2 to 2 ounces (40 to 55 grams) of excellent quality chocolate, the amount depends on how rich you want your drink. I prefer bittersweet over semisweet, if I can find it, and I’m much more partial to Guittard or Valrhona, over Scharffen Berger or Ghirardelli —but hey, I am picky that way. Mexican chocolate tablets like Ibarra are a great alternative, but I usually use 1/3 of a disc (1 ounce, or 30 grams), plus some bittersweet to counter the some of the sweetness. The total weight should still be somewhere around 1 1/2 to 2 ounces.
• 2 1/2 cups milk. I manage fine with using lowfat (1%). For a luxurious cuppa, use whole milk instead. Or add a dollop of whipping cream or crème fraîche. For a vegan option, I’ve tried rice milk, hazelnut milk and almond milk —although almond milk can impart a bitter tone. I haven’t tried soy milk since I dislike the bean flavor in drinks.

Flavorings

• 1 or 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar, if the chocolate seems too bitter
• 1/2 to 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1/2 of a star anise
• a few cardamom pods, broken open
• 1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder, especially Mary Anne’s Sri Lankan mix, which is reminiscent of Vosges’ Naga flavor
• 1 or 2 dried chilies (e.g., Serrano or Guajillo), crumbled. I include the seeds, but omit the stems.
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder or dried coffee granules
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier liqueur
• 2 tablespoons cream sherry
• 1 tablespoon Japanese or Chinese style sesame seed paste. For example, kuro goma would work, but tahini would not.

Method

1. Place the milk and chocolate in the sauce pan. Turn the heat onto medium high.
2. Add your flavorings. Choose one or a selection from the above list. You’ll find that some combinations work better than others. For example, star anise, cardamom and cinnamon go well together, but Grand Marnier works best as the sole addition.
3. Whisk frequently, so that the melting chocolate becomes incorporated into the milk. You’ll know it’s ready when the specks of chocolate literally smooth out. It’s okay if the milk becomes scalded during the process, but avoid a rapid boil.
4. Pour into mugs, cups or glasses. Filter through a fine sieve if your flavorings contain seeds or sticks.
5. Options: Spin the whisk in each mug to produce a froth. Or, top with a bit of whipped cream.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces brown sugar (golden or dark)
• 1 cup unbleached white pastry flour
• (optional) 1/2 cup ground nuts; almonds and hazelnuts work nicely
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

Method

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Chop the butter into 1/2 inch pieces, then toss into the bowl.
3. Using a pastry blender and/or your fingers, work the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
4. If the kitchen or weather is hot, chill the streusel in the refridgerator for about an hour before using it.

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla, or 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
• 2/3 cup ground hazelnuts

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
2. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
3. Slowly add both sugars and cream of tartar while continuing to beat until mixture stands in stiff peaks.
4. Fold in vanilla and hazelnuts.
5. Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper. With a tablespoon, drop equal amounts of batter onto the paper.
6. Put all of the cookie sheets into the oven and immediately turn off the heat.
7. Leave oven door closed for at least 1 1/2 hours, preferably overnight.
8. Lift the cookies off of the paper. Consume gleefully, or store in an airtight container.