RECIPE: REC: Hazelnut Gianduja Chunk Cookie--Oh I am in love!!!

RECIPE:
B

barbara-in-va

Well-known member
These are fabulous, delicious, to die for. I ate waaayy to many of them this weekend. From Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy by Alice Medrich.

16 T unsalted butter, softened

1/2 C granulated sugar

2 t vanilla extract

1/2 t salt

2 C unbleached AP flour

3/4 C coarsely chopped gianduja or milk chocolate

3/4 C coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts

1/2 C powdered sugar

In a large bowl, with a large spoon or a handheld mixer, mix the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt just until blended. Stir in the flour just until moistened. Stir in the chocolate and nuts. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Using a fork, pull off irregular lumps of dough, each should measure slightly more than a level tablespoon of dough. Or pinch the dough off with your fingers. Do not smooth or round the pieces. Place 2" apart on lined cookie sheets. Bake 18-20 min, until lightly colored on top and golden brown on the bottom.

While baking, put the powdered sugar in a small sieve. When the cookies are done, let them cool on the pan for 5 min, and sieve the sugar over the top of each one. Let the cookies cool completely before stacking or storing.

Makes about 48 1.5" cookies

My notes: the dough is very shaggy and I read some that others thought so too. However the cookies baked up wonderfully and are incredible delicious.

Also, I have a hard time finding gianduja around here. I did find small bars at TJs so that is what I used.

 
Barb, if you find you want to make a large batch of these, Qzina sells 5 kg blocks

of Gianduja. The last one I bought was around $90 for eleven pounds. Unfortunately, it WAY TOO EASY to just cut off a slab and eat it. WAY TOO EASY. And then you'll find lots of recipes to use it in.

I don't allow myself to even buy it anymore. Plus I lost the last two pounds I had bought to an overheated dryer vent problem. Such a sad waste.

 
The "original" Nutella maybe, but not the stuff they sell these days.

Nutella just tastes "sugary" to me, while Callebaut Gianduja tastes like "really good milk chocolate" creamy.
Big difference.

 
My first introduction to Callebaut came when I found out that my favorite candy company, See's, uses

...callebaut to make their chocolates.

I love See's chocolates (Nuts and Chews being my favorite assortment) and callebaut is the main reason.

I will have to seek out some Gianduja and sneak a little past my diabetes meds.

Michael

 
I believe Sees uses Guittard's chocolate, who is just down the street from them

I've heard they actually have the chocolate delivered still in liquid form to pour directly into chocolate coating machines.

 
I searched the internet machine and I found one reference to Guittard being used by See's.

I could've sworn I read where they used Callebaut.

Michael

 
For clarity, this is a ganache, so it's not the same as a block of gianduja. None the less,

I could bury my head in that bucket and die happy.

 
What about adding melted chocolate and more ground nuts

to warmed Nutella and then chilling to make a "form" of gianduja? Or just using a mix of chocolate chunks and dollops of cold Nutella?

Maybe - just maybe, but I doubt it smileys/wink.gif - not quite as good as with gianduja but that cookie I have the ingredients to make right now. Colleen

 
When I can't find gianduja I use Callebaut milk chocolate, add some finely

finely chopped hazelnuts and a couple of drops of hazelnut oil. I know it is not the same but it isn't bad!

 
Not all that long: Consider CathyZ's flourless chocolate cake,

Ina Garten's brownies 2 lb --(I don't use unsweetened. I use 60% & 70% and cut back on the sugar).
Big Bertha's flourless cake (almost 3 lb).
Dyslexic sauce (1.5 lb per batch)

These are just a few that use one pound or more per recipe.

 
What's your opinion of Ghirardelli? I used to buy it in bulk from TJ's around Christmas...

...and use it in baking and candy making. I bought the milk chocolate, dark chocolate and the white chocolate.

I noticed that the milk and dark chocolates had a fruity background flavor that just seemed out of place to me. I'm no chocolate connoisseur, but if I wanted my chocolate goodies to taste like fruit, I would add fruit.

I like TJ's "Pound Plus" bars in milk chocolate. If I need unsweetened, I usually go to Scharffen Berger.

Michael

 
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