Hazelnut Dacquoise

This dessert stands out as my most favorite anywhere. I never knew what it was at the time, but when I worked in Atlanta, the pastry chef there had a signature dessert of sorts that was sold in the restaurant I managed.  He called it Chocolate Hazelnut Torte.  I would've found out exactly what it was 28 years ago since most chef's I worked around helped me with the gist of how things were made and I gained lots of knowledge in that way...but this Prima Dona pastry chef, no way.  He never smiled and he rarely said a word to me.  He was American, too, which baffled me because most Prima Dona pastry chef's come from Europe.  This guy was trained at the CIA and he was talented.  In the restaurant, the servers brought around a dessert cart to the diners and everyday there was a piece of this dessert left, I ate it.  That was back when I could do that and though those days are long gone, it was fun while they lasted.  This wasn't exactly what he made, I'll have to work on it, but I discovered, his was a dacquoise not a torte.
So this discovery came about when my son checked out a dessert cook book from his school library.  As I looked through it, I was drawn to a picture that sort of reminded me of the layers of that dessert from Atlanta.  I decided to give it a try for Christmas dessert.  I loosely followed several recipes to invent this particular recipe, though a jumping off point, it was very good.  Here's what I did.
Toast 2 Cups Shelled Hazelnuts for 7-8 minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven.  Give the pan a shake while they are toasting.  Once they are fragrant and golden remove them from the oven.  Once they are cool, place them in a dish towel and rub them against themselves to remove the skins.  Reserve 12 nuts for garnish when serving.  Reserve 1/2 Cup for ganache.  Place 1 1/4 Cup Hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse with 2 Tbl Sugar until finely ground.  Add 1 Tbl Corn Starch and pulse until combined.
Cut (2) pieces of Parchment Paper large enough to cover a sheet pan.  Using a pencil and a ruler, draw (2) 8 1/2" circles on each of them.  Place the paper on (2) sheet pans pencil side down.  Place oven racks on upper 1/3 and lower 1/3 of the oven.  Preheat to 250.
Separate 6 Eggs placing the 6 whites in a mixing bowl.  Save the yolks for another use.  Allow the whites to warm to room temperature.  Beat at medium high until frothy.  Add 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar and 1/4 tsp Salt and beat until soft peaks.  Add 3/4 Cups Sugar, 1 Tbl at a time and beat until stiff and glossy.  Gently fold in Hazelnut Mixture adding small amounts at a time.  Spread 1/4 of the mixture on each of the 4 circles and flatten with an off set spatula.  Do not allow the circles to touch.  Place in the oven and bake for a total of 1 1/2 hours.  Switch positions after 45 minutes.  Turn off oven and allow the oven to cool.  Remove from oven and let cool and additional hour.  Gently remove the circles from the parchment.  Be certain layers are cool.   Place in a 1 gallon storage bag with paper towels in between the layers.  NOTE: I encourage you to get to this point 1 day ahead.
For ganache garnish.  Pulse 1/2 Cup of reserved toasted Hazelnuts in food processor until fine.  Warm 1 Cup Heavy Cream over medium heat until about to bubble around the edges.  Turn off burner and add 6 oz Ghirardelli or Lindt Chocolate Bars and 2 Tbl Frangelico.  As it cools, add ground hazelnuts.   Stir to combine and refrigerate.
For the filling, melt 6 oz of Ghirardelli or Lindt chocolate over low heat.  As soon as it melts, remove from heat.  While it is melting, beat 3 Cups Heavy Cream.  Add 2 Tbl Confectioners Sugar and 1/2 tsp Vanilla and beat until soft peaks form.  Beat another 30-45 seconds or so.  Add melted chocolate and stir to combine.

To assemble, using a large flat bottomed platter, place a small dollop of cream in the center to keep the bottom layer from moving.  Place first layer on the dollop and push down with the layer to spread and position the layer.  Spread evenly, 1/3 of the cream and press on the 2nd layer.  Add 1/2 of the remaining cream and press on the 3rd layer.  Add remaining cream and press on the 4th layer.  Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
When dining, remove ganache from the refrigerator and allow to warm to room temperature.  Using a hand mixer, beat on high so it becomes airier and softer.  Place in a pastry bag with a fluted tip.  (I didn't have the right kind of tip for this so I added a small spoonful of ganache.)  Garnish the outer edge of dacquoise with 10-12 swirly dollops of ganache and topped with a toasted hazelnut.  Serve with a light red wine, sparkling wine or hazlenut coffee.  Enjoy this special Parisian treat!!

Medallions of Eggplant Topped w/Hand Picked Crabs in Lemon Butter Sauce

I apologize I don't have a photo for this finished dish.  My tennis team does a Christmas luncheon each year and we all bring a tasty treat.  I basically made this at home, transported it and finished it at R's house.  We ate this as an appetizer while socializing in her gorgeous kitchen.  The room fell silent, need I say more?
First, the crab.  My husband picked a Dozen Crabs ($20) for me the day before.  If you don't have access, you'll need 1 lb Crabmeat and make sure the meat you buy is lump and that it's fresh.  If the crabs are cooked in a seasoned boil, I think the dish will turn out better. Cover the crabmeat and store in the refrigerator for no more than 1 day.
This recipe provides for 12 Appetizer Portions of 2 medallions of eggplant and a 1/4 Cup of Lemon Butter Sauce with a generous amount of Crab.  For the Eggplant.  Buy 2 Medium Eggplants.  Peel and using a serrated knife, slice into 1/2" slices.  Preheat a griddle to 375.  To a flat bottomed bowl, beat 3 Eggs and 1/2 tsp Salt with a few splashes of water.  To a 2nd flat bottomed bowl, add 2 Cups of Bread Crumbs.  Coat the griddle with vegetable oil and cook the eggplant, turning once, until golden.  You'll work in batches, so re-oil the griddle as needed. It won't be quite done since it's going in the oven.  Shingle the eggplant on a cooling rack set on a sheet pan.
For the Lemon Butter Sauce do all the prep first.  Mince 1 Large Shallot.  Zest, then Juice 5 Lemons.  Measure out 1/4 Cup Dry Vermouth.  Add 2 Tbl Corn Starch to 1 Cup Chicken Broth.  Open 1 Sick Butter.  If you are eating this at home, remove the crab from the refrigerator.
Heat a 12" skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 tsp Canola Oil and 1 tsp Butter.  Add Shallots, a good pinch of salt, and saute for 1 minute.  Add Lemon Zest and saute for 30-45 seconds.  Add Dry Vermouth and swirl for 1 minute.  Add Lemon Juice and swirl, cooking until the mixture begins to get thicker.  Add Broth and once it simmers, cook for 2-3 minutes until it gets thicker still.  Turn off heat and add the butter.  Swirl once the butter melts and pour into a thick bottomed pot.
Up until now, everything can be made ahead.  I transported the crab in a cover container, the sauce in a pot ready for the stove, and the eggplant on the covered sheet pan.
Whether at home or traveling, here's how to finish the dish. Preheat oven to 325.  Add Eggplant and bake uncovered for 18- 20 minutes until sizzling.  Heat the Butter Sauce WITHOUT THE CRAB over low or medium low heat until very warm without boiling.  Stir with a wire whip for 15-20 seconds so it is smooth.  Turn off heat and add Crabmeat.  Plate up 2 medallions of eggplant and using a 1/4 cup ladle, add the sauce.  Serve at once!!

Gruyere Potatoes

NOTE:  If you have made these, I have changed of the potato variety.  I made these with Yellow Gold (or Yukon Gold) and they don't turn gray during prep and they hold their shape after they've been cooked.  The Russets were too mushy, so reprint this recipe.  Thanks - my blog is a work in progress...
I came across this recipe years ago and loved it when I read it.  It accompanies any beef, ham, barbeque, crown roast of pork or thick chops, etc.  The only change I have made was that I add a little more gruyere than originally called for, but other than that, don't try to change it.  For example, don't add extra potato because you have just one more and don't open 3 (14 1/2  oz) cans of broth then use it all because you don't want to throw any out.  And if you realize after it is assembled that you forgot the butter, it will work but it won't taste as good, trust me, I have done all of these things over the past 15 years.  Oh, and don't make this the night before and refrigerate it without cooking, the potatoes will turn gray and won't turn back, I know, my friend K did this...for a family holiday dinner.  Lastly, allow for these to rest for 20-30 minutes on top of the 90 minute cooking time before trying to serve them, so plan ahead.  You can cook this at home and transport.  Make sure the dish sits on a baking sheet because it's soupy.  You can also cook the day before entirely.  Let it cool before refrigerating.  The next day, cut into squares and reheat on a baking sheet at 350 for about 15-20 minutes.  Or reheat your leftovers in the same manner.
If you have a mandolin or a V-slicer, pull it out, and if not, I hope you have excellent knife skills.  A V-slicer is a $30 version of a Mandolin and can be found at Bed, Bath, Beyond.  You still have time, get it on your Christmas list!  I use mine a lot so it is an excellent investment.  Since I posted, I wore out my V-Slicer and bought a Mandolin.
Here's the recipe:
Butter well a lasagna sized casserole dish of sorts.  I have several dishes that work well, but in general, 9"x13" and I would not go bigger than this, so measure your dish.  Next, grate .25 lbs (1/4 lb) Gruyere Cheese, feel free to go with a little more.  If you want a less expensive choice, substitute Emmentaler.  Cube 2 Tbl UnSalted Butter into 1/4" cubes.  Peel 3 lbs. of Yellow Gold or Yukon Gold.  Try to get the weight fairly close.  If you buy a 5lb bag, count them all and use 3/5 of the total.  The last time I made these there were 15 so I used 9.  Easy enough!  Continuing on, slice the potatoes on the Mandolin at 1/16" slices.  Place in a bowl and gently toss the potatoes with 3 Tbl Flour.
Preheat oven to 375.  Layer 1/3 of the potatoes into the buttered casserole dish.  Top with 1/3 of the Gruyere, dot with 1/3 of the butter cubes and add S&P to taste.  Repeat 2 times.  Add 4 Cups of good quality Chicken Broth.  If you want to add any flavoring, White Pepper and Nutmeg are good choices.  For reduced salt, additional salt isn't necessary because the broth and cheese are both salty.  Place in center of oven and bake UNCOVERED for 1 hour 30 minutes.  Make sure to let it rest for 20-30 minutes before trying to serve, otherwise it will be soupy.  If you need to transport this, bake for the first 1 hour 10 minutes.  Finish at location in a 350 oven for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.  Enjoy one of my favorite versatile side dishes.

Peanut Brittle

Everywhere I have gone lately, I've seen wonderful Peanut Brittle.  It got me thinking that when I was young I made candy at Christmas time.  I learned to make Peanut Brittle in grade school.  Back in those days I had to shell the peanuts, an activity I did while watching tv.  Now that unsalted peanuts are available in a jar, it reduces the time quite a bit.  A few days ago I picked up a jar and made Peanut Brittle this afternoon using my old McCall's Cook Book recipe.  If you don't have a candy thermometer, you need to get one before tackling candy making.

In a non-reactive (All-Clad works well) pot, add 2 Cups Sugar, 1/2 Cup Corn Syrup and 1 Cup Water and heat over medium heat.  Stir until the sugar melts and the mixture becomes clear.  Continue cooking without stirring until the candy thermometer reads 238 degrees. The mixture should be bubbling gently.  Add 2 Cups of Shelled Unsalted Peanuts. Cook while stirring until the nuts become golden (this will take at least 20 minutes).  You can test the doneness after 15 minutes by drizzling the candy in a glass of ice water.  The candy should be hard and brittle and when you chew it, it should be tender without sticking to your teeth.  Once it comes to that point, remove from the heat and add 1 tsp Butter and 1/4 tsp Baking Soda.  Stir until combined and pour onto a buttered sheet pan.  Swirl the pan to get the brittle to spread out giving you the thickness you are aiming for.  Let cool completely before breaking into pieces.  If you are giving it as gifts, be mindful of peanut allergies.