Day 5 Of Rosie's Christmas Baking - Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles.

Helloooo, my little pretties.

It is Saturday, Day 5 of My Baking. And my sweet little confection today is Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle.

Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles For hazelnut base: cocoa powder for dusting 1 cup toasted hazelnuts 3/4 cup flour 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp 1/2 stick unsalted butter 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate For chocolate ganache: 2 large egg yoks 1 cup heavy cream pinch salt 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate For hazelnut base: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan and dust with cocoa powder. Finely grind hazelnuts in food processor along with flour, sugar, and salt. Melt butter in saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, whicking until smooth. Stir in nut flour until just combined. Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake 15-18 minutes until top is firm and toothpick comes out with crumbs. Cool completely on rack. Make ganache: Lightly beat yolks. Bring cream and salt just to a boil. Add half of it to yolks in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Whisk yolk mixture into remaining cream and cook over low heat, whisking, until temperature registers 170 degrees. (Do not let boil.) Remove from heat and add chocolate, whisking until smooth. Pour ganache over hazelnut base. Chill until firm. Cut into squares. Hazelnut Base:

Grind up the toasted hazelnuts.

Add in flour ...

... sugar, and salt.

Process.

Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess. Rosie Tip #421: When baking a chocolate cake and the instructions tell you to butter and flour the cake pans, butter and cocoa them.

Here's my buttered and cocoa'd dish.

Melt butter and add chocolate.

Whisk until smooth.

Add eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth.

Stir in nut flour.

Spread hazelnut base evenly in baking dish. Bake about 18 minutes in a 350 degree oven, until top is firm and dry and a toothpick comes out with adhered crumbs. After the base has cooled, prepare the ganache.Ingredients for ganache: 2 large egg yolks 1 cup heavy cream pinch salt 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Beat yolks.

Bring cream and salt just to a boil ...

Slowly drizzle about 1/2 the hot mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly.

Whisk yolk mixture into remaining cream, cook over low heat, whisking the entire time ...

... until slightly thickened and a thermometer registers 170 degrees.

Remove from heat and add chocolate ...

... whisking ...

... and whisking ...

... until smooth. Pour ganache over top hazelnut base.

Smooth top with offset spatula. Chill, covered, until firm. Cut into 64 pieces.

Beautiful little hazelnut soldiers.

For an intense chocolate fix, this is da bombe.