These brownies are made rich and decadent with the addition of milk chocolate and finely ground coffee beans. Hazelnuts add a pleasant roasted, nutty flavor with a crunchy bite. The simple frosting adds a creamy note to bring the dessert together for an unforgettable treat!
Ingredients
Brownies
¾ cup raw hazelnuts
½ cup unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
3 tablespoons Stumptown Coffee Roasters House Blend coffee beans, ground to a fine powder
1 ¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Frosting
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk (any variety)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of fine sea salt
¼ cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
½ cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut a piece of parchment paper so that it lines the bottom and two sides of an 8-by-8-inch baking pan. The paper should extend beyond the two sides to allow for lifting the brownies out of the pan once cooled. Spray the paper and the inside of the pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Halve some of the raw hazelnuts with a knife so that have you a mix of whole and halved nuts. Set aside.
Add the butter and baking chocolate to a small saucepan. Turn the burner to medium heat and warm, stirring often, until the butter and chocolate are melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the finely ground coffee beans.
Place the sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the melted coffee-infused chocolate and butter from the saucepan until smooth. Add the vanilla and then stir in the eggs. Mix in the salt and then fold in the flour until all ingredients are combined into a thick brownie batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top the batter with chocolate chips and then with the hazelnuts. Gently press them into the batter.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes.
While the brownies cool, make the frosting. Add the butter and powdered sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment. Turn to low and then increase to medium high to blend the ingredients into a crumbly powder. Add the milk and vanilla, mix on high for about 1 minute, until the frosting is light and creamy. Mix in the salt.
Use the parchment to lift the brownies out of the pan. Remove the parchment and place them on a serving plate. Frost the brownies and then sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts. Slice into 9 or 16 squares for serving.
These cookies are coated in delicious finely chopped hazelnuts and studded with small bits of floral Earl Grey tea. They are best paired alongside a steaming cup of the tea to bring out their bright flavors.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons Steven Smith Teamaker Lord Bergamot Blend No: 55 (1 sachet)
¼ cup light brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely chopped roasted hazelnuts, plus 6 hazelnuts, halved
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the tea leaves to a spice grinder and pulse until finely chopped. Toss the tea with the brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low for 1 minute to combine the flavors. Add the butter and cream for 2 minutes, until smooth and pale brown in color. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
Mix in the vanilla and egg. Add the salt and then the flour. Mix on medium-high until all ingredients are combined into a cookie dough. Place the bowl with the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Spread the finely chopped hazelnuts on a plate and stir in the granulated sugar. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and roll into 12 balls, a little smaller than the size of a golf ball. Roll each ball in the hazelnuts and sugar. Place the cookies on the baking sheet. Press a hazelnut half in the top of each.
Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown and the centers are firm. Let cool on the pan for 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
This simple cake makes a winning dessert for a special dinner and it is sure to please guests at your next brunch. Ricotta cheese creates a dense, tender cake while crunchy hazelnuts and sweet raspberries add a balanced touch of seasonal flavors and textures.
Ingredients
¾ cup raw hazelnuts
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups whole milk ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh raspberries, divided
Whipped cream for garnish, optional
Chopped roasted hazelnuts for garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Spray inside of the pan, including the parchment, with non-stick cooking spray.
Place ¼ cup of the hazelnuts in a small food processor or spice grinder and pulse until they resemble a fine meal. Crack or half part of the remaining hazelnuts and set aside the cracked and whole nuts.
Add the hazelnut meal and the flour to a large bowl. Stir in the sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. In a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, ricotta, and vanilla. Fold this into the dry ingredients until a smooth batter forms.
Reserve half of the raspberries. Stir the remaining berries into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the reserved raspberries and the reserved whole and halved hazelnuts.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the hazelnuts look like they are browning too quickly, place a tented piece of aluminum foil over the cake while it continues to bake.
Let the cake cool for 20 minutes. Carefully invert the pan over a plate to release the cake. Flip the cake back over so that the raspberries and hazelnuts are on top. Slice and garnish with whipped cream, if desired, and more chopped hazelnuts before serving.
6 ounces (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Salt, pinch
1¾ cups plus 1 tablespoons flour
FOR THE FILLING:
1⅓ cups unsalted pistachio kernels
2 tablespoons flour
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
6 ounces (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
FOR THE CRUST
In the bowl of an electric mixer combine all ingredients and mix with paddle attachment until fully incorporated. Remove from bowl and press evenly into a fluted 9-inch tart pan that has been sprayed with pan spray. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, line bottom of tart pan with a circle of parchment paper, cut to size. Fill with dry beans, enough to cover the parchment paper. Par-bake the shell until light golden brown, about 10 minutes, remove from oven and cool completely. Once cool, discard the beans (or store for later use).
FOR THE FILLING
Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until very coarsely chopped (some of the pistachio will be mealy and the remainder will be coarse). Turn pistachios into a mixing bowl, add all other ingredients and combine with a spatula until fully incorporated.
Fill the par-baked tart shell with the pistachio filling, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake for 30-40 minutes, until filling is golden brown and set. Test for doneness by inserting a clean knife or toothpick in the center—it should come out clean and the tart should not jiggle. If the crust begins to brown before the pie filling is set, cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake until done.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Note: Baking time may vary depending on oven and altitude.
These tender pear halves are topped with a sweet and savory mix of Oregon hazelnuts and fresh rosemary. As they bake the crumble topping melts into the fruit for a delicious and impressive dessert. The pears are drizzled with warm honey just before serving for an added touch of sweetness.
Ingredients
2 firm pears, halved
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 cup chopped raw hazelnuts
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary, plus a few leaves for garnish
Pinch fine sea salt
¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 tablespoons roasted hazelnuts, halved or cracked
2 tablespoons honey, warmed
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a casserole dish large enough to fit the four pear halves with non-stick cooking spray.
Use a melon baller or spoon to carve out the seeds and any hard parts of the core of the pear creating a small round indentation in each halve. Discard the core and seeds. Place the pear halves skin-side down in the baking dish.
Add the flour, oats, brown sugar, raw hazelnuts, rosemary and salt to a medium bowl. Add the butter and use a fork to mash it into the dry ingredients. Continue to work it as it softens and becomes evenly distributed in dime-size pieces.
Divide the topping among the 4 pear halves. Mound and press the topping over the pears.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the pears are tender but not mushy. Baking time will vary by the size of your pears and their ripeness.
Transfer the warm pears to serving plates. Sprinkled with roasted hazelnuts, drizzle with warm honey, and garnish with rosemary leaves.
Mini bites of almond “truffles” are rolled in a globally inspired flavor-packed coating.
Ingredients
1.18 oz cacao nibs
0.2 oz ground cinnamon
0.02 oz ancho chile powder
0.29 oz pure coconut sugar
9.8 oz creamy almond butter
0.59 oz unblanched almond meal or flour
1.47 oz honey
0.29 oz pure vanilla extract
0.2 oz cocoa powder, unsweetened
0.49 oz natural California Almonds, chopped fine
0.49 oz puffed quinoa
Instructions
Prepare Coating
Place cacao nibs in a spice grinder and pulse to a small grind. Finished texture should be a mixture of fine ground with small flecks of cacao nibs intact.
Place ground cacao nibs in a mixing bowl, then add cinnamon, ancho chile powder and coconut sugar. Whisk to combine evenly. Reserve for coating truffles.
Prepare Truffles
Place almond butter, almond meal, honey, vanilla extract and cocoa powder in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Blend lightly until creamy smooth and all ingredients are evenly combined.
Add the fine chopped almonds and puffed quinoa and blend just until evenly combined.
Scoop the mixture into one tablespoon-sized portions, then roll in your hands to form truffle balls.
Roll each almond truffle in the reserved cacao-cinnamon-ancho chile powder, fully and evenly coating each truffle (pressing the powder on to the truffles). Enjoy at room temperature and store in a sealed container.
Baked apples are a classic fall dessert and this version is made sweeter (and more nutritious) with pecans. Combine pecans, brown sugar and fresh apple slices for a comforting dessert that can be served on its own or alongside ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw pecan pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room-temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 apples, cored and cut in half
3 1/3 cups vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole dish.
In a bowl, combine pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Stir to combine. Using a fork, cut the butter into the brown sugar mixture until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
Add the apple halves to the prepared casserole dish. Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the top of the apples. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the apples are tender.
Serve warm. If you’d like, top each apple with around 2/3 cup ice cream and a generous drizzle of the caramelized brown sugar mixture at the bottom of the pan.
Using 3-ingredient mini pecan crusts as your base, these light and springy lemon berry tarts are flavorful individual desserts perfect for your next gathering.
Ingredients
Mini Pecan Crusts
2 cups pecan pieces or halves
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
Lemon Filling
1/2 cup lemon curd
1/2 cup berries (blueberries or raspberries)
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
Make the mini pecan crusts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick spray.
Add pecans, butter, and sugar to a food processor. Blend until mixture comes together to form a coarse dough.
Scoop about 2 teaspoons of the pecan mixture in each muffin tin. Use the back of a wooden spoon or your fingers to press mixture evenly along the bottom and up the sides of each muffin cup.
Bake for 12 minutes or until crusts are golden brown. Allow crusts to cool completely before removing them from pan.
Assemble crusts: Spoon 1 teaspoon of lemon curd into each mini pecan crust. Top with 1 raspberry or 3 small blueberries. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Makes 24 crusts.
These kid-friendly banana pops are the perfect sweet treat (and superfood snack) to have on hand! Dipped in dark chocolate and crunchy pecans – they’ll satisfy your sweet tooth in a nutritious way.
Ingredients
3 large bananas
8 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon coconut or pecan oil (optional)*
1 cup toasted pecan pieces
6 popsicle sticks
INSTRUCTIONS
Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate, and oil if using, in a double boiler or in the microwave until smooth.
Peel and cut each banana in half. Place a popsicle stick in each half.
Dip each banana half into the melted chocolate, allowing the excess to drip off, and then dip into the chopped pecans. Place the banana on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the same process with the remaining banana halves.
Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and allow the bananas to chill for at least 4 hours. The bananas will stay fresh in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 7 days.
1/4 ounce fast rise yeast or 1 tablespoon fresh yeast
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk, plus 2 tablespoons milk
2 large eggs
Syrup
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (brand Sugar in the Raw)
4 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup hazelnut pieces
Glaze
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
Filling
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup light brown raw sugar (demerara) or 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (brand Sugar in the Raw)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
Butter a 12-cup muffin pan.
Line a roasting pan or baking pan with parchment paper (for turning the sticky buns onto later) large enough to cover muffin pan.
Combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl.
Melt butter in the milk over very low heat and beat in eggs.
Stir milk/butter mixture into the dry ingredients to make the dough. Knead for 10 minutes or for 5 with dough hook. When it is springy and satiny, form a ball and put in a greased bowl. Turn to coat and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Syrup: Using an electric mixer cream butter until soft and smooth and add sugar. Beat in syrups and then divide mixture among the muffin cups and top with hazelnuts (about a tablespoonful in each sticky-based waiting cup.).
Preheat oven to 350.
Knock dough back, knead once or twice and then roll out to a large rectangle (apx 24X12) with the long side nearest you. Beat egg and add milk; glaze the dough using a pastry brush or your fingers.
Mix the filling ingredients in a little bowl and sprinkle onto the dough. Now, roll up from the long side and away from you, carefully and firmly (not too tight) keeping a firm sausage shape.
Cut into 12 even slices, and lie each slice spiral-swirly cut side up, on top of the nuts and syrup in the muffin cups.
Leave to rise for about 20 minutes then put into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, by which time they should be golden.
Place roasting pan or baking sheet on top and turn the whole thing the other way up. Remove the muffin tray and dislodge any nuts that are still stuck in it, adding them, along with any residual syrup, to the upturned buns.
