Chocolate Hazelnut Kisses |
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Prep Time: 120 Minutes Cook Time: 8 Minutes |
Ready In: 128 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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Pastry chef Patric Gabre-Kidan from the restaurant The Painted Table is responsible for this addictive cookie. He typically lets these cookies sit out a full day after piping and before baking. He says the object is for the cookie to form a crust that will bake up crispy while leaving the inside moist. I'd like to give Chef Patric a kiss for coming up with this one! Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups hazelnuts |
1 cup sugar |
1/4 cup cocoa powder |
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted |
1 tablespoon honey |
1 teaspoon vanilla extract |
2 egg whites |
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Scatter the hazelnuts in a baking pan and toast, gently shaking the pan once or twice to help the nuts toast evenly, until lightly browned and aromatic, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Turn off the oven.
4. Transfer the nuts to the center of a lightly dampened kitchen towel, wrap the towel around the nuts, and rub the nuts around vigorously (but carefully, since they're hot) to remove as much of their skins as possible.
5. Let the nuts cool completely.
6. In a food processor, grind the cooled hazelnuts with the sugar until very fine.
7. Add the cocoa powder, butter, honey, and vanilla.
8. Pulse until well blended.
9. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites with a fork to break them up a bit but not make them too frothy.
10. Add about half of the egg whites to the processor and pulse a couple of times, then add the remaining egg white and pulse again.
11. You're looking for a paste that's smooth but firm enough to hold its shape.
12. Fit a pastry bag with a large plain or star tip and fill the bag with the dough.
13. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
14. Squeeze a small dot of the dough under each corner of each paper lining to adhere it to the baking sheet (this will make piping easier).
15. Squeeze dough onto paper in big rosettes or teardrop shapes, making each cookie about 1 1/2 inches across and with at least 1 inch between the cookies.
16. Give the cookies a bit of height as you pipe.
17. If you make them too flat, they'll be more crisp than chewy when baked.
18. Let the cookies sit for 1 hour before baking.
19. Reheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
20. Bake the kisses until they are just set on the outside, about 8 minutes.
21. The cookies will firm up as they cool and you want the insides to remain tender and chewy.
22. Transfer the kisses to a wire rack to cool and serve soon, or store in an airtight container for a few days.
23. Note: If you use a star tip, be sure that its points are open enough to avoid being blocked by the ground nuts.
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