Alassio Kisses aka Baci di Alassio

I fell immediately in love with these kisses when I saw them in the March issue of Sale&Pepe (italian food magazine)....and like Baci di Dama (Lady kisses), they seem very easy-peasy to make but beware, their simple recipe could be tricky especially the first time...In fact, I managed to bake perfect kisses only at the third attempt!!! Luckily I am very stubborn and I don't throw in the towel easily because these little beauties are SUPER DIVINE...especially if they are "forgotten" in the tin for a couple of days!

As I told you the recipe itself is very easy and, with a few tricks, fool's proof so....give it a go!!

BACI di ALASSIO
Per 20 kisses

250g Whole hazelnuts, toasted
200g Caster sugar
25g Honey (preferably runny)
25g Cocoa powder
2 Egg whites (60-70g) (*)

Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a mixer chop finely the hazelnuts with the sugar and put them in a big bowl. Sieve the cocoa powder on top and stir wells with a spoon. Add the honey and stir again. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and add a spoon at a time to the rest of the ingredients. This is the tricky step because the mixture has to be thik and firm for the kisses to hold their shape during baking (**). Therefore it is possible that it is not necessary to add all the egg whites. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and fill with the mixture a piping bag with a large star nozzle. Pipe the kisses in individual swirls the size of half a walnut. Bake for 10-12' in the middle shelf and when ready (they shoul have a crisp skin), take out the oven and allaw to cool on a wire rack. Sandwich together with a teaspoon of dark chocolate ganache. Keep in a tin for up to 15 days (even more). Their taste develop if left for at least a day in the tin.

GANACHE

75g Dark chocolate (50-70% cocoa), chopped
75g Double cream

Bring the cream to the boil and set aside. Add the chocolete and stir until it is melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Leave to cool for 2 hours (or until the ganache is firm and can be spooned).

(*) The original recipe does not specify the weight of the whites so I considered the weight of the white of a medium egg (about 35g).

(**) The mixture has the right consistency when it takes a little effort to pipe it on the bakig tray; If you think that the mixture is a bit too loose, try to leave the kisses (once formed) on the baking sheet overnight at room; in this way they should hold their shape while in the oven.

A smily kiss,
D.

Chocolate Special: Warm Chocolate & Raspberry Tart

Or I should say Special Hermé since this recipe, and the other two which will follow in the next posts, is taken from his well known book "Chocolate Desserts", something you must have in your library at home!

I write the recipe as it appears on the book.

WARM CHOCOLATE & RASPBERRY TART

1 Fully baked 8¾-inch (22 cm) tart shell, cooled at room temperature (*)
½ Cup (55gr) Raspberries
5 oz. (145gr) Bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 oz. (115gr) Unsalter butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 Large egg, at room temperature, stirred with a fork
3 Large egg yolks, at room temperature, stirred with a fork
2 Tbsp Sugar

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and fill the tart crust with the raspberries. Melt chocolate and butter in separate bowls either over simmering water on in a microwave. Leave them to cool until they feel warm to the touch (104°F or 60°C, as measured on an istant-read thermometer, is perfect). Using a small whisk or a rubber spatula, stir the egg into the chocolate, stirring gently in ever-widening circles an taking care not to agitate the mixture. It is important not to incorporate air into the ganache. Little by little, stir in the egg yolks and the sugar. Finally, still working gently, add the butter and stir. Pour the ganache over the raspberries in the shell. Bake the tart for 11 minutes. The centre of the tart will shimmy if jiggled. Remove the tart fron the oven, slide it on a rack and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
The crust cab be made ahead but the tart should be assembled as soon the ganache is ready. The tart is meant to be eaten soon after it comes from the oven, but it can be kept overnight in the fridge and brought to room temperature before being eaten the next day. The filling will be firmer but still delicious.

(*) I made the pastry following the recipe by Santin that you can find here, the only difference is that I used gluten free flour. The pastry was fantasitc and so I think from now on to use only this type of flour.

For blind baking:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Fill the the crust with dried beans, rice or baking beans and bake for 18-20 minutes, just until it is very lightly coloured. Then remove the parchment and beans and bake for another 3-5 minutes, or until golden. Transfer the crust to a rack to cool.

"But why don't we see the tart???" you will be wondering...beh, because I cut it using a round pastry cutter (4.5cm) to make little mini tarts...
Be patient, you will see the final result at the end of this chocolate special!

A chocosmile,
Diletta

PS. Useless to say that this tart is really really really.....delicious!!!