• 1 cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 1 ¼ cups hazelnuts, toasted
• 2 egg yolks, or 1 whole egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• zest of 1 orange, finely grated
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling the dough
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Chef’s Note: You can substitute hazelnut flour or meal for the whole hazelnuts. Made of very finely ground hazelnuts, the flour or meal can be found in specialty stores and online retailers.

For the Fig Jam filling

• 2 pints ripe fresh black mission figs, rinsed, stems removed and halved
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• Juice of 1 orange
• ¼ cup ruby port or brandy (optional)

Equipment

• Food Processor
• Mixer

Preheat oven to 325° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or non stick baking mats.

Place the hazelnuts and ¼ cup brown sugar in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

Beat the butter, the remaining sugars and the hazelnuts in a large bowl with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the yolks, then the vanilla and fully incorporate. Add the sifted flour mixture, and on low speed, mix until just combined.

Form the dough into a ball, cut in half, flatten into a disk and wrap each half in plastic. Chill the dough until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Roll out one half of the dough into a 1/8 inch thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Using cookie cutters, cut out as many cookies as possible from the dough. With a spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets and place about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cutter of the same shape, cut out the centers from half the cookies (this will form the top of the sandwich); reserve the scraps and re-roll with the other chilled half of dough. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough, and chill all the cookies for 30 minutes.

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chef’s Note: It may be easier to remove the cut out cookies if the dough has been chilled again once cut, before it is moved to the baking sheet.

Prepare the fig jam

Finely chop the figs. Place the sugar in a non-reactive saucepan and cook over medium heat to a medium caramel color (it should be golden amber in color). Add the butter, the chopped figs and the orange juice and stir to incorporate all. Don’t worry if any of the sugar starts to lump, it will melt as soon as everything is combined. Simmer rapidly over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the figs are very soft, most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick and syrupy, about 25 minutes. Once reduced the mixture will also have an amazing ruby red color. To test if the jam is ready, carefully spoon a small amount of the jam onto a plate and let it sit in the refrigerator for a minute. Run you finger down the middle of the jam, and if the line remains in two distinct halves, it is at the proper consistency. Cook longer if the two halves meld back together.

Remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with the port. Stir to thoroughly combine; return the pan to the heat and contine to cook, allowing the alcohol to absorb into the jam and the mixture to thicken once again, for about another five minutes.

Chef’s Note: For an easier method, the jam can also be made without first making a caramel: Just combine the figs, sugar, butter and orange juice in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and continue to boil until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the port and cook for another 5 minutes until all of the alcohol is absorbed into the jam. However, taking the time to make the caramel first imparts a depth of flavor and additional color to the finished jam.

Service

Spread a small amount of the fig jam on the cookie bottoms. Sandwich with the cookies with the middles cut out. Dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar and enjoy!

Variations

Feel free to substitute a variety of nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, macadamia nuts) for the hazelnuts. Other jams are lovely, too, but we just adore the combination of ripe figs and toasty hazelnuts.

Bon appétit

Brice

(Recipe and photo by Monica Glass)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 lb cold lard
• 2 tablespoons sweet Marsala wine
• 1 large egg, separated
• About 3 cups vegetable oil

For filling

• 1 lb fresh ricotta (2 cups)
• 2 oz soft mild goat cheese
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced candied orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon orange-flower water (also called orange-blossom water)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup shelled unsalted pistachios (not dyed red), chopped
• 2 oz bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped (1/2 cup)

Special equipment:

a pasta maker; a 4- to 4 1/4-inch round cookie cutter; a deep-fat thermometer; 6 (roughly 5 5/8- by 5/8-inch) metal cannoli tubes; 2 heavy-duty oven mitts; a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip.

Garnish: confectioners sugar

Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add 2 tablespoons lard and blend in with your fingertips until combined. Add wine and yolk and stir until a dough forms.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Form dough into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Make filling while dough stands

Beat together ricotta, goat cheese, confectioners sugar, orange peel, orange-flower water, and cinnamon in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed 1 minute (do not overbeat). Fold in nuts and chocolate until combined and chill.

Make shells

Set smooth rollers of pasta maker at widest setting. Unwrap dough and cut in half, then lightly flour 1 piece (keep remaining half covered with plastic wrap). Flatten floured dough into an oval and feed through rollers. Turn dial down 2 notches and feed dough through rollers again. Continue to feed dough through rollers, making space between rollers narrower by 2 notches each time, until narrowest setting is used.

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Transfer rolled dough to a lightly floured surface and cut out 4 or 5 rounds with floured cutter. Transfer rounds to baking sheet and keep covered with more plastic wrap. Roll out remaining dough and cut rounds in same manner. Gather scraps and let stand 10 minutes. Roll out scraps and cut in same manner.

Heat remaining lard with 1 1/4 inches oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until it registers 350°F on thermometer.

Meanwhile, lightly oil cannoli tubes. Lightly beat egg white, then brush bottom edge of 1 dough round with egg white. Wrap dough around a tube, overlapping ends (egg-white edge should go on top), then press edges together to seal. Make 5 more shells in same manner (keep remaining rounds covered with plastic).

Fry dough on tubes 1 at a time, turning with metal tongs, until 1 shade darker, about 45 seconds. Wearing oven mitts, clamp end of hot tubes, 1 at a time, with tongs and, holding tube vertically, allow shell to slide off tube onto paper towels, gently shaking tube and wiggling shell as needed to loosen. (If you allow shell to cool it will stick to tube and shatter when you try to remove it.) Transfer shells to paper towels to drain and cool tubes before reusing. Wrap remaining dough around tubes and fry in same manner.

Spoon filling into pastry bag and pipe some into 1 end of a cannoli shell, filling shell halfway, then pipe into other end. Repeat with remaining shells.

Cooks’ note: Dough can be made 1 day before frying shells and chilled. Let dough stand at room temperature 1 hour before rolling. As well, shells can be fried 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept, layered between paper towels, in an airtight container at room temperature.

Bon appétit

Brice

(recipe by epicurious.com - photo by: Martyn Thompson)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 3 large eggs

For the Chocolate Pastry Cream Filling

• 3 cups milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 pound hazelnut chocolate (gianduja), roughly chopped

For the Sauce

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For the Poaching Liquid

• 8 cups water
• 2 cups sugar

Meanwhile, make the pastry cream: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and vanilla bean. Place over high heat and bring to a boil (be careful not to scorch the milk). Meanwhile, using a whisk, in a medium bowl, whip the sugar and egg yolks until pale yellow and frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the cornstarch and whisk to dissolve any lumps.

Remove the vanilla bean from the milk and discard. Temper the egg yolk mixture by pouring a little of the steaming milk into the yolks, whisking to incorporate. Whisk the egg yolks into the remaining milk in the pan, set the pan over medium heat, and whisk quickly and constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, then whisk for another minute. Add the butter and stir until incorporated. Transfer the pastry cream to a storage container and place plastic wrap directly against the cream to prevent a skin from forming on top. Refrigerate until fully chilled, about 2 hours.

Once the pastry cream has chilled, place the hazelnut chocolate in a microwave-safe container and microwave on high for 1 minute; or melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Remove the chocolate from the microwave and stir. Heat the chocolate for another minute, remove, and stir to melt the remaining chocolate. Add to the pastry cream and stir to incorporate. Return to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Divide the pasta dough into 4 pieces. Using a pasta machine, one at a time, roll out each piece from the widest to the thinnest setting. Keep the remaining dough covered to prevent it from drying out.

To make the ravioli, dust a work surface with flour. Place one pasta sheet on the work surface. Starting about 2 inches from one end, place a teaspoon of filling every 4 inches down the pasta strip, ending about 2 inches from the other end of the strip. Brush the pasta dough with water, fold the dough over, and press to seal, being careful not to trap air inside the ravioli (or they will burst during cooking). Cut the ravioli into half-moons using a cookie cutter or pastry wheel. Press the edges together and squeeze to make the edges of the dough as thin as possible. Set the finished ravioli on a baking sheet lined with parchment and sprinkled with flour, to prevent sticking. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should get at least 24 ravioli. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

For the sauce, bring the heavy cream, milk, and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until melted. Add the butter and stir to incorporate.

To cook the ravioli, bring the water and sugar to a boil in a large pot and boil until the sugar has dissolved. Add the ravioli to the pot and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, gently reheat the chocolate sauce.

To serve, remove the ravioli with a slotted spoon, letting the excess liquid drain, and arrange 4 ravioli on each plate. Drizzle the sauce over each plate. Serve immediately.

Bon appétit

Brice

(recipe by Eric Ripert and Michael Ruhlman)