Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies filled with Nutella and Chewy Salted Caramel

I wiped my kitchen whiteboard calendar clean the other night so I could bring September into our lives. The school bell rang for us here over a month ago and we have been slowly getting back to some degree of normal. Last Saturday I took my daughter dress shopping for the homecoming dance and we picked up two adorable dresses because she like me has a problem choosing between two good things.

Both dresses had their merits and depending on her mood for the evening I could see both being absolutely perfect. I let her get both and told her we could take back the one she doesn't use. I also know her well enough to know that I just bought her two dresses. Now that they have a home together in her closet they aren't going anywhere.

When she was little I would have sworn she was a carbon copy of her dad, but now that she has gotten a little older I am starting to see nuances that remind me so much of myself. Take for example the cookies I wanted to make the other day, they had pretty much everything one could want in a cookie Hazelnuts + Nutella = Draw a little heart around the whole thing. But no, I stuck with my more is more mantra. If those are going to be a dream come true I couldn't help but believe that pushing them over the edge with the addition of Chewy Salted Caramel could only make them double hearty.

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies filled with Nutella and Chewy Salted Caramel

Hazelnut Shortbread:
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and ground
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg

Also need: Small amount of Nutella about 1/2 of a cup.

Toast hazelnuts on a sheet pan in a 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes. Let cool.

Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes, add flour, salt, egg, and ground hazelnuts. Mix until combined.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll dough until 1/4” thick.

Cut cookies into rounds with a fluted circle or any cookie cutter of your choice. Gather scraps and roll again and use the rest of the dough.

Place cookies onto a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper an inch apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes in 350 degree F oven.

Let cool. I got about 24 cookies.

Chewy Salted Caramel
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream (measured with a dry measuring cup instead of a liquid measuring cup)
Pinch flake sea salt

Combine sugar and water in a small heavy skillet and heat on medium high until the sugar in the pan is turning amber in color. Add the cream and whisk until combined, sprinkle a pinch of the salt over the top and let caramel cool.

Smear the bottom side of half of the cookies with a healthy amount of Nutella and smear the bottom half of the remainder of the cookies with an ample amount of caramel and combine them for a wild romp in cookie heaven. 

Don't say I didn't warn you though, once you go Nutella and Salted Caramel your psyche will be forever altered - forever (say that aloud in slow motion so you get the full effect).

Enjoy,

Gina

Billionaire Bars and Foodbuzz Festival 2012

I saw a recipe for Billionaire Bars some time ago on Brown Eyed Baker and was eagerly awaiting a reason to whip up a batch.  My daughter who is away at college called at the last minute this week and told me she was coming home on Friday for a visit.  Bingo, I had a reason.

After reading the recipe something caught my eye immediately, the recipe called for packaged caramels.  I haven't eaten one of those things since I was a kid, plus I was being a tightwad and didn't want to go to the store for one more thing (besides I seriously doubt Billionaires got to be Billionaires by squandering their money).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Shortbread Layer:
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with no-stick spray.  The original version calls for parchment but I was out and spray works fine (that's another 29 cents I'll be adding to my billionaire fund, thank you very much).

I think the less the butter is processed for shortbread the more tender it is, so I went with the food processor method.  Place the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and flour in a food processor and pulse until it is in small crumbs and barely sticking together.

Press into the bottom of the prepared pan with your fingers.  Use a fork and poke shallow holes into the dough. Bake 18-22 minutes or until edges are golden.  Set aside to cool.

Salted Caramel Layer:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch flake sea salt

Add sugar and water to a small heavy skillet, heat on medium high heat until rapidly bubbling away.  Leave undisturbed until the edges of the caramel start to turn amber in color, turn off the heat and add the cream and salt and whisk until the caramel comes back together.  You may have to turn the heat back on for a minute if the caramel isn't really smooth.  Pour the caramel over the crust, tilt the pan to spread out and place in the fridge.

I know making caramel can be intimidating; if it doesn't sound like your thing, feel free to try the original version it calls for packaged caramels melted.

Cookie Dough Layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add cream and vanilla, and mix well.  Add flour and salt, mixing until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Use a small spatula to spread cookie dough evenly on top of caramel layer.  Place in refrigerator while making the ganache.

Dark Chocolate Ganache:
5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup heavy cream, heated until bubbles form around the edges

Place the chopped chocolate into a bowl and pour the hot cream over it and whisk until the chocolate is smooth. Pour ganache over the top of the cookie dough layer and place back in the fridge for 30 minutes or so until the bars are set.

Cut into squares in the pan.  The original recipes says if you put the parchment up the sides you can pull the bars out and cut them, I will have to try that next time although, mine weren't difficult to get out.

So with a few tweaks here and there I can say with confidence I'm pretty sure a billionaire wouldn't mind eating these.  I'm only speculating on that point but the Dollar-aires I'm usually in the company of ate the heck out of them.  My daughter brought home a few friends with her and these bars went fast.

Fine, quit twisting my arm, I'll fess up and tell you the truth - I'm a caramel snob, there you have it, yep it's true. I've had wonderful too die for caramels and I could never go back to eating those hard ones in the package; please don't hate me.

Foodbuzz Festival 2012 highlights:

Regardless of the fact Foodbuzz is now Federated Media or whether or not we are still featured publishers; we are still a community of like-minded individuals and we still need to support each other.  Besides the good Karma you are going to get back in return for being a good member of the community, you are helping support folks that are bringing us quality content and the majority of them are doing it on a negative income level.

I luckily me Gerry - Foodness Gracious.  I got some samples of the amazing caramels he was launching.

I met Greg - Sippity Sup.  He was so charming and knowledgeable I might add. I got to hear about the book on savory pies he has been working on for the last year, which I can't wait to check out.

A special thank you to Patty - Patty's Food and Azmina - Lawyer Loves Lunch, these two always make me smile and laugh.  Also it was wonderful meeting Wendy - The Weekend Gourmet in real life, she is a doll.  Happy to have found Marlene - Nosh My Way who doesn't live far from me at all.  Enjoyed sharing a wonderful dinner with Rachel - MuffinEgg and Jennie - Frolic and Detour new friends I hope to get to know better.

Enjoy,

Gina

Salted Caramel on Mocha, Espresso Buttercream Cupcakes - Topped with Macarons

Even though I was pretty sure I knew how to make Salted Caramel, I mean after all isn't it just caramel with salt. I searched the internet for a recipe, stumbling upon what I might say is a pretty kick-ass website by Michael Ruhlman.  He was throwing around names like Ming Tsai and some French guy I can't pronounce. I can only image what's it's like to have friends like that. The only celeb peeps I hang out with and chew the fat are Mr. Tidy Bowl and Mrs. Butterworth. (Or is that Ms. since we are being all formal and everything?)  Not that I'm pissed or anything, because when I ask my friends, they are quick to reply, "Your recipes totally rock!" (Or does syrup always say that?)

Oh yeah you wanted my cupcake recipe. Sorry I was feeling the effects of all the sugar and caffeine in these cupcakes and lost my train of though. Don't be alarmed, it happens often, just ask my children. They would love nothing more than to share that and a whole myriad of faux-pas of mine. All it takes is for company to come over and the "remember when Mom did" starts to flying (that is when you slip them a $20 and tell them to get lost).

Mocha Cupcakes

2 cups boiling water

3 teaspoons espresso powder

2 cups granulated sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups cocoa powder (Dutch process)

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt 

3 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped and melted

2 eggs

1 cup milk 

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the water to boiling in the microwave in a heat proof measuring cup.  Add the espresso powder to dissolve and set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer add sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Mix on low to combine.

Add melted chocolate, eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and mix on low speed until just combined.  Slowly pour in the hot coffee liquid and mix until combined.

Pour the batter into a cupcake pan lined with paper liners.  I made 24 big ones and some minis, just cause I was feeling cutesy.  Fill the wrappers a good 3/4 full.  These don't rise too much.

Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and set aside on a rack to cool.  Don't leave the cupcakes too long in the pan or they will get a bit soggy on the bottom from condensation.

Espresso Buttercream

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon espresso powder

Pinch salt

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Add the butter to a bowl of a mixer and beat until fluffy, a couple of minutes.  Add the powdered sugar, espresso powder and salt and beat on low slowly until starting to incorporate.  Add the cream and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, a couple of minutes.  Set aside.  Buttercream can be left at room temperature if it's not too hot in the house.

Salted Caramel 

Adapted from Michael Ruhlman

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons water

Pinch Flake Sea Salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

Caramel goes really fast, so have everything ready to go.

Place the sugar and water in a small skillet and heat on medium-high heat until the sugar starts to turn an amber color, only takes a couple of minutes.  Don't let it go too long or you will have burned caramel.

Turn the heat off, add a pinch of the sea salt and add the heavy cream, stir with a whisk and let cool before you go taste testing.  I'm not sure if the skin on your tongue will ever grow back if you completely burn it off like that.

And if you aren't completely worn out from reading this recipe yet, I'll give you the Macaron recipe.  But feel free to rip open a box of vanilla wafers, decorate them with food coloring pens and call it a day.  I'm very good at keeping secrets.  

Macarons

4 egg whites from large eggs

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 ounces almond flour

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Beat egg whites and sugar together in a mixer until the whites get stiff.  Set aside.

Combine almond flour and powdered sugar in a large bowl and add a little food color if you want.  Stir the mixture together and make sure there are no lumps.

Fold the egg whites a little at a time into the almond flour mixture.

Place batter into a piping bag with a 1/4" tip or so and pipe round disks onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Leave a little room between the cookies, because they will spread a bit.  Let set up on the cookie sheets for 15 minutes.

Bake in a 300 degree F oven for 10 minutes or so.  The cookies need to dry out; when you can lift them off and they aren't sticking to the paper they are done.

For frosting the cupcakes I like to use a disposable bag fitted with a Wilton 1M tip.  If you have extra frosting leftover, don't worry I know someone who would be happy to dispose of it for you.

Enjoy,

Gina