Ideas for Decorating Valentine's Cookies

Love this technique with royal icing to decorate cookies!



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Candied Hazelnuts

What can be better than a chocolate cake with rich chocolate buttercream filling and chocolate ganache icing?  Not much you say?  How about decorating the top of the cake with caramelized candied hazelnuts?  It is a work of art in itself!  It is as if the hazelnuts are defying gravity!  It isn't magic, but close to it!

If you attempt to make these delicious beauties, here are some helpful tips.

Things you will need:
8 long wooden skewers
8 hazelnuts, toasted and skin removed
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
cutting board
parchment paper

Toast the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  When they are slightly warm, place them in a towel and rub them together to remove the skin.  Once they are clean, put a wooden skewer into the side of each nut.

Next is the fun part, making caramel!  Cook sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved.  Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, washing down the the sides of the pan with a wet pastry  brush to prevent crystals from forming.  (Crystallization is what happens when the sugar "crystallizes" on the side of the sauce pan.  The sugar needs to stay in the water suspension.  Using the water filled pastry brush to "wash" down the sugar crystals will save your caramel from being a grainy mess!).   Let the sugar mixture boil until the syrup turns light amber, about five minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand until slightly cooled, 4-6 minutes.

When the caramel is still warm, dip a skewered hazelnut into the syrup, coating completely and letting the excess syrup drip back into the pan.  When the dripping syrup becomes a thin string, secure the end of the skewer under a cutting board on the edge of a counter to drip onto a piece of parchment paper underneath.  Repeat with all hazelnuts.  Let them stand until the caramel has hardened, about five minutes.  Lastly, break the strings to about four inches.  Carefully remove skewers.

Tips:  Watch the caramel closely, it can crystallize quickly and or burn.  Sometimes adding a tablespoon of corn syrup will prevent crystallization.  Work quickly once your caramel is at a warm temperature!  It sets fast!  It can be reheated in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds if it gets to gooey.

Happy Caramelizing!!!












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