Chocolate

Recipe: Chocolate-Hazelnut Sandos

A video recipe for chocolate hazelnut sandwich cookies

Chocolate-Hazelnut Sandos

Makes about 4 ½ dozen cookie sandwiches

If you ask me, there’s pretty much nothing better than the classic combination of hazelnut and chocolate. One of my nephews said these were the best cookies he’d ever tried. My niece doesn’t like hazelnuts.

For the cookies:
355 g all-purpose flour
150 g granulated sugar
1 tsp coarse salt (preferably Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp hot water
128 g toasted skinned hazelnuts
15 g cocoa nibs
226 g cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
2 tsp vanilla
1 yolk

For the chocolate filling:
4 tbs cocoa powder
7g powdered milk (optional)
4 tbs hot water
113 g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp coarse salt (preferably Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt)
200 g confectioners’ sugar


In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder.

In a small bowl, bloom the cocoa powder in hot water and whisk to combine.

In a food processor, pulse the hazelnuts, cocoa nibs, and a scoop of the flour mixture until coarsely ground. Add the remaining flour mixture and pulse until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the texture of coarse meal. Add the vanilla, cocoa mixture, and yolk, and pulse until a dough just starts to come together.

Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead gently into a ball, then divide in two. Flatten each half into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill 45 minutes or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 F (325 F Convection) with racks in the upper- and lower-third positions.

Working with one disc of dough at a time, roll between parchment sheets to a scant ¼-inch thick. Use a 1 ¾-inch round cutter to punch rounds. Gather the scraps into a ball and reroll.

Place the cookies on lined baking sheets, about 1-inch apart, and bake 18-20 minutes until firm to the touch and the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a small bowl, bloom the cocoa powder and powdered milk (if using) with the hot water and whisk to combine. Combine the cocoa mixture with the butter, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar a little at a time and beat until light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag with a round tip.

Pipe a generous teaspoon of filling onto the underside of half the cookies and sandwich with the remaining cookies. Drizzle with melted milk chocolate, to garnish.

Store in a cool place for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Spotlight: "Gingerbread" Houses, Part Three

Ok, this one is a bit of a stretch because it's true there's no gingerbread here. I was commissioned by Hershey's to design and build this mansion entirely out of KitKats for a Facebook Live event. This is by far the largest "gingerbread" house I've constructed. It was so large, in fact, that I had to build it in four sections that could be pulled apart and reassembled on site just so it would fit through the doors! Although it was cold outside, keeping the chocolate from melting in my overheated Brooklyn apartment was a challenge. This project took me five very long days and used hundreds of KitKat bars, and it goes to show that the line between being a food stylist and an architect is not as bold as you might think.

The largest "gingerbread" house I've made so far.

The largest "gingerbread" house I've made so far.

Natural Wonders

Kir Royale Cake. Photo by Linda Pugliese for Martha Stewart Weddings Martha Stewart Weddings challenged me to create a colorful dessert story that used no artificial colors or ingredients. We settled on a palette of soft pastels tinted with berries, pistachios, coffee and carrots. Head over to the Martha Stewart Weddings site for the recipes! More photos after the jump.

Carrot Cake and Pistachio Cakes. Photo by Linda Pugliese for Martha Stewart Weddings

Blackberry Cake and Cinnamon Cappuccino Ice Cream Cakes. Photo by Linda Pugliese for Martha Stewart Weddings

New Work: "Perfect Pairs" dessert story for Martha Stewart Weddings

Peanut Butter and Jelly Mousse Cakes. Photo by Paul Barbera for Martha Stewart Weddings.

Check out the Martha Stewart Weddings Fall Real Weddings special issue for my "Perfect Pairs" story, combining classic flavors into new ideas for weddings desserts. Want to taste? All the recipes are available on their website.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake. Photo by Paul Barbera for Martha Stewart Weddings.

Apple Pie Whoopie Pies. Photo by Paul Barbera for Martha Stewart Weddings.

Wine and Cheese Cannoli. Photo by Paul Barbera for Martha Stewart Weddings.

Stout and Pretzels. Photo by Paul Barbera for Martha Stewart Weddings.

Throwback Thursday: SELF Magazine Healthy Food Awards

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Each year, SELF Magazine showcases a selection of prepared foods or grocery store items that they deem healthier options compared to (heavily processed) alternatives. This year, they shook things up by commissioning a series of lifestyle shots rather than just showing the products in a lightbox. Christina Holmes, Pamela Duncan Silver and I created these images for them.

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And, of course, some outtakes:

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