Hazelnut Chocolate Cookies

I love hazelnuts!

Hazelnut Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Adapted from Gourmet

Makes about 2 dozen

1 almost-full cup (4 ounces) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate (2 or 3 chocolate chips would also work)

Pulse hazelnuts, sugar, matzo cake meal or flour, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. (Be careful not to grind to a paste.) Transfer to a bowl and stir in butter, egg, and extract until combined well. Chill dough, covered, until firm, about 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Drop level tablespoons of dough 1 inch apart onto 2 ungreased baking sheets (though I lined mine with parchment paper, for an easier lazier clean-up). Roll dough into balls, then chill until slightly firm, about 10 minutes.

Press one piece of chocolate firmly into the top of each ball of cookie dough and bake, 1 sheet at a time, until tops are pale golden and undersides are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Be careful not to overbake. Transfer cookies to a rack and cool completely.

*To fill with jam instead: After balls of cookie dough have been chilled for an additional 10 minutes, make a 1/2-inch-wide (1/3-inch-deep) indentation in center of each ball using your thumb, index finger, or the rounded end of a wooden spoon. Fill each indentation with 1/4 teaspoon jam.

*Almond variation: The hazelnuts can also be swapped with 3/4 cup sliced almonds.

Do ahead: Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 3 days.

For complete recipe, visit the link below
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/03/hazelnut-chocolate-thumbprint-cookies/

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Chocolate-Caramel Tartlets with Roasted Bananas and Ginger-Citrus Caramel

This recipe is best for those of you who have some baking experience. I say that only because it’s a lengthy recipe with a lot of steps. If making this for a special occasion, I would give it a whirl with a practice prototype, prior to your special event. Let your co-workers be the guinea pigs, I’m sure they won’t mind, hahaha
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Ingredients

Crust
•2/3 cup all purpose flour
•3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
•1/2 cup powdered sugar
•1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
•3 large egg yolks

Caramel filling
•1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
•3 tablespoons water
•2 teaspoons light corn syrup
•1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
•1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
•1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Chocolate ganache topping
•1 cup heavy whipping cream
•1 tablespoon light corn syrup
•3 whole star anise*
•4 1/2 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
•2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
•1 ounce bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
•4 teaspoons (generous) plus 2 tablespoons chopped lightly salted roasted cashews

Ginger-citrus caramel sauce
•1/4 cup sugar
•2 tablespoons water
•1/2 cup strained orange juice
•1 2-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, grated, pressed through garlic press to extract 1/2 teaspoon juice
•1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half
•3 tablespoons unsalted butter
•2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
•1 large banana, sliced

Preparation

For crust:
Sift flour and cocoa into small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Beat in flour mixture. Beat in egg yolks 1 at a time. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 5-inch-diameter plate or bowl as guide, cut out rounds. Reroll dough scraps if necessary to form four 5-inch rounds total. Press each dough round onto bottom and up sides of 4 1/4- to 4 1/2-inch-diameter tartlet pan with removable bottom. Pierce crusts all over with fork. Freeze crusts 10 minutes. Bake until firm to touch and beginning to pull away from sides of pans, about 15 minutes. Cool crusts completely in pans on rack.

For caramel filling:
Combine sugar and next 3 ingredients in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over low heat until any caramel bits dissolve and caramel is smooth. Whisk in butter. Set aside.

For chocolate ganache topping:
Bring cream and corn syrup to boil in heavy small saucepan. Add star anise; remove from heat. Cover; let steep 15 minutes. Discard star anise. Return mixture to boil. Remove from heat. Add 4 1/2 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate and butter; whisk ganache topping until smooth.

Stir 1 ounce finely chopped bittersweet chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted. Brush inside of each crust with melted chocolate, then sprinkle each with 1 generous teaspoon chopped cashews. Spoon caramel filling over nuts in crusts (about 2 tablespoons for each). Chill tartlets until caramel sets slightly, about 30 minutes.

Rewarm chocolate ganache topping just until pourable, if necessary. Spoon chocolate ganache atop caramel filling. Refrigerate just until ganache sets, about 45 minutes, then let tartlets stand at room temperature. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover tartlets loosely and let stand at room temperature.)

For ginger-citrus caramel sauce:
Stir 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until medium (not deep) amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; slowly add orange juice and 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Return mixture to boil, stirring until any caramel bits dissolve. Boil until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 4 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat just until pourable.)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Add brown sugar; whisk until blended, about 1 minute. Add banana slices and toss to coat. Transfer banana mixture to small baking sheet. Bake until bananas begin to brown slightly around edges and sugar mixture bubbles, about 4 minutes.

Remove sides from tartlet pans. Place tartlets on plates. Drizzle ginger caramel sauce around tartlets. Arrange banana slices alongside. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cashews and serve.

*Brown star-shaped seedpods sold at Asian markets, at specialty foods stores, and in the spice section of some supermarkets

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Caramel-Tartlets-with-Roasted-Bananas-and-Ginger-Citrus-Caramel-108534#ixzz2iK3LtgKi