Hazelnut Pithivier

 AND....we're back!

It certainly has been a while, but hoping to get back in full force and what better way than a different take on a pithivier for Epiphany! We've been on a hazelnut kick recently and I thought this would be much more fun than the typical almond paste you would find in a King's Cake. This recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz's galette des rois which I have been making for years and I guarantee you'll find fantastic, but if you're looking for a change this year why not try hazelnuts? I think this cake is perfect to serve year round, when we were kids my mother let us have the leftovers for breakfast, felt like a massive treat! Cheers and happy New Year!

Ingredients:

Hazelnut Flour:

1 cup raw hazelnuts (skins on are fine, more rustic!)
2 tbsp sugar

Hazelnut Paste:

1 cup hazelnut flour
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
3 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature
1/2 tsp orange zest
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons hazelnut liqueur
1 pound puff pastry divided into two sheets (for ease I use Trader Joe's because there are two rolled sheets in the box)

Glaze:

1 egg yolk
1 tsp whole milk

Directions:

1. Make your hazelnut flour if you don’t have any pre made. Add hazelnuts and sugar to food processor and process until fine

2. Combine flour, sugar, salt and zest to a mixer and mix. Add hazelnut liqueur and butter and mix until smooth. Then add eggs one at a time until combined

3. Remove hazelnut paste from mixer and chill (it’s freezing where I am, and space in the fridge is limited, so I covered and placed outside)

4. In the meantime roll out your pastry sheets, take a large bowl and flip it onto one of the sheets. Cut the outline of the bowl and remove excess dough

5. Do the same for the other sheet of pastry, except when cutting, make sure your circle is larger than your bowl so there will be enough dough to go over the top of your filling without it spilling out

6. Return to your first piece of pastry, take a smaller bowl and place in the center of your circle and trace lightly an outline of it. You will be putting your hazelnut paste in the smaller circle. It’s important to make sure to leave enough room on the edges so your top layer can stick perfectly to the bottom layer of pastry (give it about an inch)

7. Chill both circles of pastry for 30 minutes

8. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Once pastry has chilled, take your first sheet of pastry and add your hazelnut paste filling the smaller circle you traced in step 6 and spread evenly

9. Take a pastry brush (or your fingers) and wet the edges of your pastry. Add your other pastry circle to the top and press down the sides evenly so the two layers stick to each other

10. Cut a small circle in the top of the pastry to allow for steam to release while baking. If you want to get creative, add a design with your knife to your pastry before brushing with glaze. Mix all your ingredients for the glaze

11. Brush your pastry entirely with the glaze and bake for 25-30 minutes. Once baked, remove from oven and let cool on a rack before serving. Happy Epiphany!