Gianduja Molten Cake with Hazelnut Gelato & Brittle
I know what you’re thinking. Molten chocolate cakes are so 1999 and yet it seems every restaurant in every corner of the world has some version or other on their menu. Sometimes you just wish the recipe could be put in a time capsule and sent to space for 10 years or so. Everyone needs a break sometimes but we can’t ignore the fact that, when done properly, these suckers can be quite incredible and so i thought i would give them a little makeover and feature them in a dessert that taste more like Nutella for grown-ups. Yes, you heard me right…
{{loud thump of people fainting}}
When i came across a delicious-looking block of dark Gianduja (or Gianduia) at Buon Italia in Chelsea Market there was no doubt in my mind, not only i was gonna make a molten gianduja cake but i was gonna serve it with nocciola (hazelnut) gelato and some homemade hazelnut brittle. Hazelnut three-ways if you prefer. One warm and gooey, one chilled and creamy and one crunchy and… extremely addictive. Gianduja is a chocolate originally made in Piedmont, Italy that contains about 30% hazelnut paste. It’s most popular incarnation is of course Nutella which wouldn’t work here because it’s been already processed into a paste with added crap you really don’t want. The ironic thing is that the cake batter taste almost like Nutella – without the hydrogenated oil. Hmm.
If you need more convincing just imagine the combination of warm melting Gianduja chocolate and the cold hazelnut gelato. These two were truly made for each other. You could also buy a good quality hazelnut gelato to serve with this dessert but i recommend keeping with the hazelnut theme because it really works. You trust me, don’t you? Yes?.. Can i have your wallet?
The hazelnut brittle is a foolproof recipe that you could adapt to pretty much any kind of nuts, except a nut like me. Scratch that. On second thought i wouldn’t mind being brittlelized. I have to warn you though that you might find yourself getting up in the middle of the night to have a little snack. Hide the hazelnut brittle, my friends… hide it from yourself!
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Gianduja Molten Cake with Hazelnut Gelato & Brittle
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- Serves 6
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For the molten Gianduja cakes:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 4 ounces dark gianduja chocolate
- 2 large whole eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup sugar
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For the hazelnut brittle:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup ground hazelnut
- 1 pinch of salt
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For the hazelnut gelato:
- 8 ounces hazelnuts, skinned and toasted
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 1/4 cups half & half
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons sugar
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For the molten Gianduja cakes:
- Butter and lightly flour six 3-ounce ramequins.
- Combine butter and Gianduja chocolate in a bowl and place on top of bain-marie; heat until chocolate and butter mixture has melted.
- In a medium bowl beat together eggs, yolks, and sugar until light and thick.
- Add melted chocolate mixture, and beat to combine. Add the flour until just combined and divide the batter among the ramequins.
- Preheat oven to 450’F and bake until the sides are sets but the center remains soft. Between 6 and 9 minutes depending on your oven.
- Gently invert ramequins on the plates to let the cakes fall off.
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For the hazelnut brittle:
- Preheat the oven to 350’F
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/3 cup water, and the cream of tartar. Cook to a golden brown caramel. Pour onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper or a nonstick baking pad. Let it cool.
- When cool, break into pieces and grind to a powder in a food processor. Stir in the ground hazelnuts.
- Spread a thin layer of the caramel-nut mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking pad. You can give it the shapes you want. Bake for 5 minutes. Let it cool and keep it in a dry, cool place.
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For the hazelnut gelato:
- In a food processor grind the hazelnut to a paste (only use skinned hazelnuts)
- Combine the milk and the half & half in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and turn off the heat. Whisk in the hazelnut paste and cover. Allow to cool completely.
- Strain the hazelnut milk into a strainer lined with cheesecloth and extract as much of the liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
- In a bowl beat the egg yolks and sugar. Add the strained milk mixture while whisking.
- Put the mixture back into the saucepan and cook on the lowest heat while stirring constantly until it thickens slightly, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Cool completely.
- Freeze in your ice cream maker.
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