1 cup (116 g) hazelnuts
1 tbsp (10 g) cornstarch
16 tbsp (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups (262g) sugar
2 tbsp (32 g) hazelnut paste or hazelnut butter (I used Chestnut paste)
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups minus 2 tbsp (272 g) flour
1 cup (234 g) crème frâiche (or greek yogurt)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your desired cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Combine the hazelnuts and cornstarch in a food processor and grind until fine - do not let it turn into a paste.
Put the butter in a stand mixer bowl and beat for about a minute to soften. Add the sugar and hazelnut paste and beat on medium-high for about 6-8 minutes until it is very light and fluffy - this is important for the final texture of the cake.
Add the eggs one at a time to the mixer, letting each one mix in before adding in the other. Beat for another 2 minutes until the batter is completely smooth.
In another bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients and ground hazelnuts.
Turn the mixer down to low, and add half of the dry ingredients. Let it mix just until combined. Add in the crème frâiche (or yogurt) and mix until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until batter is completely combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Briefly turn the speed up to medium and beat for about 20 seconds.
Scrape the batter into prepared pans - it will be fairly sticky and heavy. If you are filling multiple small pans, do not fill more than 3/4 of the way up - this cake will rise quite a bit in the oven so you don't want spillage!
Smooth down the tops of the batter with a spatula. Bake about 50 minutes for a large single cake or 30 minutes for smaller cakes, until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top is still a little springy.
Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and let finish cooling to room temperature.
You can store the cakes for up to 4 days at room temperature, but wrap them tightly in plastic or they will dry out.
Roasted Glazed Pears
6 ripe pears
1/3 cup white wine
1/2 cup sweet Muscat wine (I used limoncello -- any liqueur would work)
1/4 cup honey
5 tablespoons sugar (I used about 4 tbsp)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Slice the pears in half. Lay the pears cut side down in a pan large enough to hold all the pear halves in one layer (you can do fewer pears, just use a smaller pan so the liquids don't spread out).
Pour all the remaining ingredients, except for 2 tablespoons of the sugar, over the pears.
Roast the pears for about 30 minutes. Turn the pears over and roast for another 30 minutes.
Take the pears out of the oven and raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Turn the pears over and ladle some of the cooking liquid over them. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the pears. Bake for another 20 minutes.
When the pears have reduced in size, and are shiny with carmelized areas, they are done. If they are not finished, baste and continue baking in 10 minute increments until they are done.
When the are done, baste one more time, remove from oven, and let cool in the pan.
The pears are best eaten the day of but can be kept in the refrigerator for 4 days. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes.
Serves: 6-8
Source: dessertfirst.typepad.com (adapted from Kate Zuckerman's The Sweet Life)
Prepared by: Lena for the January 2008 meeting.