Hazelnut Brownie Shortbread Bars

Something everyone is going to want for the holidays.  From Food and Drink Holiday 2022

SHORTBREAD
3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
3/4 cups (175 mL) icing sugar
1/2 tsp (2 mL) fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
 
BROWNIE
3 bars (each 100 g) 70 per cent cacao chocolate, roughly chopped, divided
3/4 cup (175 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (80 mL) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups (425 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp (2 mL) fine sea salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pure vanilla extract
1 cup (250 mL) skinless roasted hazelnuts, divided
1/3 cup (80 mL) chocolate hazelnut spread, such as Nutella
 

1. Arrange rack in centre of oven. Preheat to 375°F (191°C). Generously butter a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) cake pan. Line with parchment, overhanging edges on two opposite sides.
 
2. For the shortbread, combine flour, icing sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add butter, working in with your fingertips until fully combined. Continue working mixture, lightly kneading just until a dough comes together. Crumble over bottom of prepared pan to distribute evenly, then press into an even layer. Lightly prick all over with  a fork. Bake in centre of oven until evenly golden, about 25 minutes. Set aside.
 
3. Reduce oven to 325°F (163°C).
 
4. For the brownie, bring a pot with 1 inch (2.5 cm) water in the bottom to a boil. Chop two chocolate bars and combine with butter in a heatproof bowl. Set on top of the pot, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Reduce heat to medium-low and let melt, stirring often, until mixture is liquid. Remove bowl from the pot and let cool 10 minutes.
 
5. Sift flour with cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
 
6. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk eggs with sugar and salt on medium-high speed until pale, thick and ribbony, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla. Remove bowl from stand mixer and using a spatula, carefully fold in melted chocolate mixture, then flour mixture, just until no streaks remain.
 
7. Finely chop 1/2 cup (125 mL) hazelnuts, then gently fold in, along with remaining chocolate bar, just until combined. Scrape mixture over prepared shortbread, smoothing top. Drop teaspoonfuls of hazelnut spread evenly over the top of the batter. Swirl with a wooden skewer, careful not to hit the shortbread base. Roughly chop remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) hazelnuts and sprinkle evenly overtop.
 
8. Once oven has fully reduced in temperature, bake in centre of oven until brownie has set, about 50 minutes. (A toothpick inserted in the centre of the brownie base should come out with moist crumbs attached.) Transfer to a rack and cool completely.
 
9. Run a butter knife along the unlined edges of the pan to loosen. Using parchment edges, lift bars out of pan. With a sharp knife, cut lengthwise into four rows, then crosswise into eight rows to make 32 squares. (Bars will keep at room temperature in an airtight container up to 3 days.)
 

Makes 32 bars

Easy Hazelnut Chocolate Spread

 This was not quite as spreadable as the commercial brands, but the flavour was wonderful!  I definitely needed by Food Processor for this.  I don't think it would come out smooth any other way.

1 1/2 cups hazelnuts
3/4 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil or melted coconut oil

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 tsp kosher salt

6 oz (170 g) milk chocolate, chopped, melted

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Spread hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake until browned and skins start to plaster 11 to 15 minutes.  Let cool enough to handle
• Using hands, rub hazelnuts to release skins.  Slowly tilt baking sheet to separate skins from hazelnuts. Transfer nuts to a food processor.  Blend until beginning to liquefy, about 5 minutes.  Using a rubber spatula, scrape down bowl.  Add icing sugar, cocoa, vegetable oil, vanilla and salt.  Blend until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Scrape down bowl, add milk chocolate and process until smooth and shiny, about 1 minute.  Transfer to a 2 cup glass jar.  Cover and stop in a cool dark cupboard for up to 2 weeks or refrigerate for up to 2 months.  If refrigerated, bring to room temperature before serving.

Makes 1 3/4 cup 

Moroccan Cookies

I had these out at our Thanksgiving Dinner and they were well received.  The spices made them more of an adult treat which was fine because there was plenty of other treats for the younger guests.  I got this recipe out of Food and Drink Holiday 2015.

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup icing sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp each of ground coriander (I substituted Cumin) cardamom and salt
1/2 tsp each of curry powder and cinnamon
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup finely chopped skin on almonds
1 egg white
1 tbsp water
Chutney or apricot or pepper jam for filling

• Preheat oven to 325F.
• Combine butter and icing sugar in bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until blended.  In a bowl, stir flour with coriander, cardamom, salt curry powder and cinnamon.  Add about half to the butter mixture in food processor bowl.  Pulse until blended.  Add all remaining flour mixture and pulse until even in texture.  Then with the machine running, slowly add milk through the feed tube just until the dough forms into a ball.   You may not need all the milk.  Use floured hands to form dough into a ball.
• Place nuts in a small bowl.  In another bowl, whisk egg white with 1 tbsp water.  Using a round shaped (rather than oval shaped) tsp measuring spoon, scoop out a rounded amount, about 1/2 tbsp of dough.  Roll into 1 inch ball.  Coat ball with egg white wash, then roll in nuts until evenly coated.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough, placing cookies about 1 inch apart.
• Using your pinky finger or the end of a wooden spoon, make a deep indent in centre of each cookie.
• Bake until cookie fleets firm when pressed and the bottoms are lightly browned, from 17 to 22 minutes.  While still warm, dent centres again to assure room for the chutney.  Cool on pan 5 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely.  Serve right away or store in an airtight container at room temperature up to a week.
• Just before serving, fill thumb print centres with chutney or jam.

Makes 48 cookies

EASY ALMOND TOPPED COOKIES

• Prepare cookie dough in balls as in Moroccan Cookies.  Do not coat with chopped nuts.  Place on parchment lined baking sheets and flatten cookies with your finger or tines of a fork to a 1/3 inch thickness.  Press a whole unblanched almond into the top of each.  Bake as above.

Peach Torte

This is the perfect recipe for in season Peaches!

BASE
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
3/4 cup butter

FILLING
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (8 medium)
3/4 cup chopped nuts

Base:  Combine flour and icing sugar in bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Press into bottom of greased 13 x 9 inch pan.  Bake at 350F for 20 min or until lightly browned.

Filling:  Beat eggs and sugar until light.  Blend in vanilla.  Add flour, baking powder and salt, mixing well.  Fold in peaches and nuts.  Pour over crust.  Bake at 350F for 40 to 50 minutes longer or until browned.  Cool in pan.  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.  Yield:  15 servings.

Pumpkin Squares

Instead of Pumpkin Pie, try these squares for something a little different.  They are simple and delicious.  Dress up by drizzling with some cream cheese topping or leave plain.  From Food and Drink 2003

2 cups flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups canned pureed pumpkin
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 corn syrup
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice or nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt

TOPPING
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp cream cheese
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
3. Mix flour and icing sugar together with butter and salt in a food processor or by hand until mixture just comes together.  Do not let it form a ball.  Pat into lined baking pan.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden at the edges.
4. In food processor or blender, combine eggs, pumpkin, sugar, corn syrup, whipping cream, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and salt.  Process until well combined.  Scrape sides and process again.
5. Pour over base and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until centre springs back when touched.  Cool squares.
6. Combine butter and cream cheese with a hand beater until soft and fluffy.  Beat in icing sugar and milk.  Pour into a plastic sandwich bag and cut a small hole in one corner.  Drizzle over squares.  Chill then cut into squares.

Makes 24 squares.

Chocolate Cupcakes and Icing

I wasn't sure about the rolled oats in these, but they really work to keep the cupcakes moist.  You don't even notice them.  Make them with or without the icing.

1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 tbsp cocoa
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F.  Pour water over oats in a mixing bowl.  Add oil and cocoa and blend.  Stir in sugar and eggs.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir into batter  with vanilla.  Fill paper lined muffin tins 2/3 full and bake until a tester inserted into cakes centre comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Remove from muffin tins, cool on a wire rack then top with icing.  Store in a tightly covered container or wrap and freeze.  Makes 16 cupcakes.

CHOCOLATE ICING
This is decadent!  I have never used a raw egg before in icing.  If you have concerns about salmonella, you could replace with about 2 tbsp greek yogurt.

1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
2 tbsp sifted cocoa
Pinch salt
1 egg well beaten
1/3 cup soft butter
1 tsp vanilla

Combine icing sugar, cocoa and salt in a mixing bowl.  Add egg, butter and vanilla and beat, until fluffy with electric beater.  Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Brutti Ma Buoni

This is a delicious Italian cookie.  I am told it translates "Ugly but delicious".  This is very true of this cookie, not pretty - but oh so good!

4 egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tbsp all purpose flour

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups coarsely chopped nougat milk chocolate bar 500 ml

2 tbsp icing sugar

• In large heatproof bowl over saucepan of gently simmering water, cook egg whites with granulated sugar, whisking occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until opaque.  Remove from heat; beat for about 7 minutes or until cooled, thickened and glossy.  Fold in all purpose flour and vanilla; fold in chocolate.
• Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart, onto parchment paper lined or greased foil lined rimless baking sheets.  Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in centre of 350F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown.  Let cool on racks.  Sprinkle with icing sugar.