hazelnuts Archives - Fresh From Oregon

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

December 15, 2014 · by Carrie Trax ·

This is my first year as a participant in the 4th annual The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. Just around 566 food bloggers (That’s a Big Cookie Swap) from across the United States and 6 other countries participated this year. We each sent out 3 batches of our home baked cookies and received 3 batches of cookies from other bloggers in return. Not only do you get boxes of homemade cookies delivered to your door, but you also get to support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. The cookie swap raised over $12,000 this year! These great sponsors matched all of our donations so a big thank you to OXO, Dixie Crystals, California Olive Ranch and Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle. OXO sent everyone who participated an 8 piece Baker’s Silicone Decorating Bottle kit. I did not use it for the cookies I made for the cookie swap but I did use it a few days ago to frost my “Gingerbread Cookie’s Gone Wild”. I also received a beautiful tin and coupon from Dixie Crystals and already the tin is filled with cookies.

If you are a food blogger and would like to participate next year, be sure to sign up to be notified when things get going for 2015.

I packaged 1 dozen of my Pacific Northwest Snowball cookies in cute snowman tins with a jar of my homemade marionberry jam and tayberry jam and sent to 3 bloggers. That Dang Cook from Lewistown, Pennsylvania, Jordan’s Onion from Texas (Congratulations on the new baby) and Mamal Diane Keeping Life Simple from Dayton, Ohio. All three have created some great blogs with interesting recipes, you should check them out!

The first batch I received was from Lisa at Blogghetti. She sent Peanut Butter Snickledoodle Bits. They were packaged up so cute in a cookie tin. The smell of the peanut butter and cinnamon as I opened the box were just mouth watering. The next batch I received was from Lynne at Hearts in my Oven. She sent yummy Red Velvet Butter cookies sprinkled with jimmies – so fun! My third and last batch was from Sara at Confectionary Tales. Her melt in you mouth Brown Butter Shortbread cookies were amazing!

Pacific Northwest Snowball Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
1 cup marionberry jam or tayberry jam
Confectioners sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixer. In small bowl combine flour and salt and add the the butter mixture until just combined, mix in hazelnuts. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and use a sharp knife and cut in half. With your thumb make an indentation in each half. Fill with about 1/2 teaspoon of marionberry or tayberry jam. Press the two halves back together and press around the seam to seal. Gently roll back into a ball. Chill balls for about 30 minutes. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. While still warm, roll in confectioners sugar and place on wire rack to cool. Roll again in confectioners sugar after they have cooled.

Snowball Cookie Fight…

December 14, 2014 · by Carrie Trax ·

One cookie with so many names… Snowballs, Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cookies and I am sure there are more names. Whatever you call these delicious buttery, melt in your mouth cookies they are always in my cookie tin. These cookies are rolled twice in powdered sugar but there are many versions. You will also see them rolled in coconut, cocoa powder or glazed. There are also many things you can hide inside this cookie like cherries, chocolate kisses, peanut butter cups, mini chocolate chips or just use your imagination and create your own combinations. I did that this year and created my Pacific Northwest Snowball Cookie. I added hazelnuts to the cookie dough and hid some marionberry and tayberry jam inside. With one bite you will have the sweet flavor of jam combined with the buttery hazelnut dough melting in your mouth. Another combination I made this year was a Glazed Snowball Cookie with a cherry inside. I then drizzled chocolate on top and it tastes just like eating a chocolate covered cherry. The last version I made was one that my mom makes every year and that is just adding mini chocolate chips to the snowball cookie recipe. But my mom calls them Russian teacakes so let the Snowball Cookie fight begin!

Snowball Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Confectioners sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixer. In small bowl combine flour and salt and add the the butter mixture until just combined, mix in nuts. Chill dough for about 30 minutes. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. While still warm, roll in confectioners sugar and place on wire rack to cool. Roll again in confectioners sugar after they have cooled.
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Pacific Northwest Snowball Cookie
Make the recipe above and use hazelnuts instead of pecans or walnuts. After you have rolled the dough into a 1-inch ball use a sharp knife and cut in half. With your thumb make an indentation in each half. Fill with about 1/2 teaspoon of marionberry or tayberry jam. Press the two halves back together and press around the seam to seal. Gently roll back into a ball. Chill balls for about 30 minutes. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. While still warm, roll in confectioners sugar and place on wire rack to cool. Roll again in confectioners sugar after they have cooled.
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Glazed Cherry Snowball Cookie
Make the recipe for the Snowball cookies using walnuts. Drain one jar of maraschino cherries (20 cherries) and lay cherries on a few layers of paper towel. You want to dry them off as best you can. Roll dough into a 1-inch ball and flatten. Add a cherry to the center and with your hands fold dough around the cherry. Chill balls for about 30 minutes. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. (Do not roll in confectioners sugar). As the cookies are cooling make the glaze. In medium size bowl sift 1 cup of confectioners sugar and mix in 1 tablespoon of milk. Once the cookies are cooled place on a wire rack over a piece of parchment paper. With a spoon pour about 1 teaspoon of glaze over each cookies and let the glaze drip down the sides. Once the glaze is dry melt some chocolate and drizzle over the cookies.

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Mom’s Russian Teacakes with Mini Chocolate Chips
Make the recipe for the Snowball cookies and add in 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips with the nuts. Chill dough for about 30 minutes. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. While still warm, roll in confectioners sugar and place on wire rack to cool. Roll again in confectioners sugar after they have cooled. When I made these this year instead of rolling them in just confectioners sugar I added some baking cocoa to the confectioners sugar to give them a light chocolate color.

New Year’s Traditions … Bake some Good Luck!

December 30, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

Sweet New Year’s Pretzel with walnuts

Even though I live here in Oregon (8 years) I am originally from a town just south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We had many great food traditions that I have not seen here in the Pacific Northwest. I grew up on Pork & Sauerkraut on New Year’s Day, Isaly’s chipped ham made into BBQ sandwiches, Holuski (cabbage & noodles), Pierogies, Golabki (Stuffed Cabbage) and many more. One of the traditions I brought with me is making a New Year’s Pretzel. This is a large pretzel made with a sweet bread dough and glazed with a confectioners sugar icing. It is said you need to eat a piece at midnight New Year’s Eve or before breakfast on New Year’s day to bring you good luck for the coming year. The recipe below makes two pretzels so I decided to make one the traditional way and to start a new tradition by making the second one with Fresh From Oregon flavors and I added cranberries and hazelnuts! Once you make these pretzels and taste them you will be making them each year and starting your own family tradition.

Divide dough in half

Shape into a horseshoe shape with
open ends towards you

Cross right side over left and
create a circle on the top

New Year’s Sweet Pretzel
1 1/2 cups milk, scalded and skimmed
1/2 cup sugar
4 ounces (1 stick) butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
6 to 7 cups Bob’s Red Mill flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 eggs
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
5-6 Tablespoons water
1/4 cup ground walnuts

Cross left side over right

Put the scalded milk, sugar and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer and let stir until the butter and sugar are dissolved. In another small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water with a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. It should begin to foam in about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, the yeast mixture and the 2 eggs to the milk mixture. Use a dough hook to mix until it is a soft, even batter. Add more flour 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Continue to knead until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Take the dough out on a lightly floured board and give it a few turns to form a smooth ball. Put it into a greased bowl and cover. Let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Turn the dough out onto the board and divide in half. Roll each half into a long rope (36″ long) and shape into a pretzel. Lay the pretzel onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and allow to rise for another hour. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes until dark golden-brown. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Make a frosting by mixing the confectioner’s sugar with the almond extract (or vanilla if you prefer) and enough water to make a spreadable icing. Pour the icing over the bread and sprinkle with the walnuts. I have seen these also decorate with the toasted almond slices and candied cherries.

Shaping a Pretzel
1. Roll into a 36″ rope
2. Shape into a horseshoe shape with open ends towards you
3. Cross right side over left and create a circle on the top
4. Cross left side over right
5. Bring ends up to the top and press into the dough

Bring ends up to the top and press into the dough

Fresh From Oregon New Year’s Pretzel
To add the Pacific Northwest to this pretzel add about 1/2 cup of dried cranberries and 1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts to dough when you divide it in half and before you roll it into a rope. After you glazed the pretzel sprinkle with with dried cranberries and hazelnuts.

Recipe from: Pittsburgh Magazine

Blue Ribbon Vanilla Peach Pie with Hazelnut Crust

August 21, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

The Red Haven peaches are ripe and Fresh from Oregon and just in time for me to use in my peach pie. This was a special pie I baked for the 2013 Clackamas County Fair this past Sunday. The slices of fresh peaches mixed with vanilla extract and baked in this melt in your mouth hazelnut pie crust got me a blue ribbon. A big thanks to Pilgrim Orchard for sponsoring the contest this year. My favorite Red Haven peaches are now ready so pick some up at your local farm stand or farmers market and bake a blue ribbon peach pie!

Blue Ribbon Vanilla Peach Pie with Hazelnut Crust

Hazelnut pie crust ~ recipe below

8 cups fresh peaches, peeled & sliced
2 cups sugar
4 Tablespoons Bob Red Mill flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In large pot combine the peaches, sugar, flour and cinnamon, set aside until syrup forms. Bring the peach mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes or until peaches are tender. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and butter, stirring until butter melts.

Pour into prepared pie crust. Roll out second dough and with a mini leaf cookie cutter cut shapes from dough. Start from the outer edge of the pie and work into the center laying down the leaves in a circular pattern.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minutes or until crust is a golden brown and the juice is bubbling from the pie. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack at least 1 hour.

Hazelnut Pie crust
3 cups Bob Red Mill flour
1/2 cup Toasted Oregon Hazelnuts, ground
1 tsp salt
1 ¼ cups shortening
1 egg
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
5 Tbsp cold water

In large bowl combine the flour, hazelnuts and salt. Add shortening and cut into flour until it resembles coarse meal. In small bowl combine the egg, vinegar, and water. Add and quickly mix into mixture until combined. Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic, refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out the 1st piece of dough to fit a 9”pie plate, roll the dough under and crimp the edges, set aside. The second piece of dough will be used to cut out leaf shapes for the top of the pie.

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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie

June 21, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

What a strawberry season we had this year in Oregon. With the warm weather they started two weeks early and with the cool weather in June the strawberries are still great! Fresh strawberry pie is a traditional dessert during the strawberry season and I added some extra goodies to make it a Fresh From Oregon mouth watering pie. Chocolate + Hazelnuts gives this pie a rich and delicious flavor that will have everyone coming back for seconds!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie
1 quart (about 2 pounds) fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
juice 1/2 lemon
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
1/2# chocolate wafers
1 cup toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pie crust in a 9″ pie plate and flute the edges. Prick with fork over the bottom and the sides, about 40 times. Place piece of foil inside pie crust, lightly pressing around bottom edges of crust. Fill with dried beans to help keep the crust’s shape. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and remove beans and foil. Return to oven and bake another 5 minutes until edges are golden brown. Place on wire rack and cool.

Wash strawberries and remove the green tops and core. Sort the strawberries to get about 1/2 of them close to the same size, set aside. Chop the remaining 1/2 of the strawberry in a food processor. Place the chopped strawberries in a sauce pan and begin to cook over medium heat. Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl; add to the sauce pan of strawberries. Add lemon juice and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Set aside and cool.

In a bowl over simmering water melt the chocolate. Dip the remaining whole strawberries about 3/4 of the way and roll in the chopped hazelnuts. Place on baking sheet to allow the chocolate to set.

To assemble the pie pour the fresh strawberry filling in the bottom of the baked pie shell. Add the chocolate/hazelnut dipped strawberries chocolate side up until the pie is filled. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 hours.

In bowl of a mixer place the whipping cream and confectioner sugar and beat with a wire whisk until whipped. When you are ready to serve top each piece of pie with a large spoonful of the whip topping!

Crunchy Hazelnut French Toast

April 23, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

So here is one of the BEST French Toast recipes I have ever made and so easy to make. I made a custard type French Toast and to give it a crunch I used crushed cornflakes with the Fresh From Oregon taste of ground hazelnuts. The outside has a sweet crunchy taste with a soft and smooth center. Great for your next weekend brunch…

Crunchy Hazelnut French Toast
6 thick slices Challah bread
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash nutmeg
3 cups cornflakes
2 tablespoons Oregon hazelnuts, ground
Butter for cooking

In a medium bowl whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, salt and nutmeg. Place bread slices in shallow baking dish and pour egg mixture over the bread making sure both sides are covered with the egg mixture. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. In plastic bag place the cornflakes and ground hazelnuts and with your hands crush to small pieces. Pour into a shallow bowl. Preheat a griddle* on medium-high temperature and add the butter right before you cook the french toast. Also preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Dip the pieces of egg soaked bread into the cornflakes pressing into both sides and place on the buttered griddle. Fry until golden brown on both sides and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once you have them all brown place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Serve immediately with some maple syrup and butter. I also like to sprinkle on some powdered sugar.

* If you do not have a griddle a cast iron skillet works great and it gives it that golden crisp taste.

Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs…

March 25, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

With Easter less than a week away… you must be thinking about bunnies, coloring eggs and of course chocolate in the Easter basket. I got my 20# box of chocolate out this weekend and my favorite filling recipes and turned my kitchen into the Easter Bunny’s workshop. I added a new filling this year that is filled with Fresh From Oregon flavors, hazelnuts and cranberries. I took some hazelnuts out of the freezer (the best place to store them) and toasted them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 3-4 minutes. I then opened a box of dried cranberries I found the other day while shopping. These dried cranberries are grown and produced by the Vincent Family on the Southern Oregon coast, they cultivated their first cranberries in 1957, read more here about their story. So with these two great Oregon flavors and my fudge recipe I created a Hazelnut Cranberry Fudge filling. I also made my family’s other favorite fillings: coconut almond, peanut butter and pecan fudge caramel. These melt in your mouth recipes are easy and quick to make and the taste of homemade chocolate eggs will be the perfect surprise for your family and friends this coming Easter.

Once you have made your fillings and shaped them into eggs they will be ready to dip in the chocolate. I use a good grade of melting chocolate wafer, Merckens. You can find them at your local stores that sell candy making supplies or order online. It is best to melt in a double boiler or a bowl placed over simmering water. I find it is easier to dip just the bottoms in the chocolate first and let it set, about 10 minutes. Then when you dip the top into the chocolate you will have something to hold onto, the only downside you will need to lick the chocolate off your fingers often. You can also place that set chocolate bottom on a fork and dip it into the chocolate. Remember to place a piece of parchment paper on the pan you will place the eggs on to set the chocolate, this keeps them from sticking to the pan as the chocolate sets.

Hazelnut Cranberry Filling:
1 pound semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/2 bags)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares, chopped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing extra to hang over the sides and spray lightly with cooking spray, set aside.
In a double boiler toss chocolates, baking soda and salt. Stir in condensed milk and vanilla. Stir 2-5 minutes until only a few pieces of chocolate are left. Remove from heat and stir another 2 minutes, the mixture will become a little glossy. Stir in the hazelnuts and dried cranberries. Spread evenly in the prepared pan and let set for 3o minutes. Once cool enough to handle cut into 12 even pieces and make into an egg shape. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let set for about 1 hour before you dip them in the chocolate.

Peanut Butter Filling:
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups peanut butter
5 cups confectioners sugar
Cream together butter and peanut butter in the bowl of an stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add the confectioners sugar and mix until combined. Shape into the size eggs you want.

Coconut Almond Filling:
1 cup butter
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 pound shredded coconut
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup almonds, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In bowl of a stand mixer cream butter and confectioners sugar. Add coconut, condensed milk, almonds and vanilla, mix until fully combined. Chill in refrigerator about 30 minutes and then shape into any size egg you want.

Pecan Carmel Fudge Filling:
1 pound semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/2 bags)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares, chopped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
6 ounce caramel squares
2 tablespoons milk
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing extra to hang over the sides and spray lightly with cooking spray, set aside.
In a double boiler toss chocolates, baking soda and salt. Stir in condensed milk and vanilla. Stir 2-5 minutes until only a few pieces of chocolate are left. Remove from heat and stir another 2 minutes, the mixture will become a little glossy. Stir in the pecans and spread evenly in the prepared pan and let set for 3o minutes. Once cool enough to handle cut into 12 even pieces and make into egg shapes. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let set for about 30 minutes before pouring caramel over. To melt caramels unwrap and place caramels and milk in a bowl over simmering water and stir until melted. Pour about a tablespoon of caramel over each egg, if it drips over the side its Ok. Let set 5 minutes and eggs are ready to dip in the chocolate.

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

February 12, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

If I had to pick my husband’s favorite cookie that he can’t keep his hands off, it would be shortbread cookies. So for Valentine’s Day this week I baked him a batch of heart shaped shortbread cookies with an added Fresh From Oregon taste, hazelnuts. If you have been following my blog you know I LOVE hazelnuts. I never baked with them until I moved to Oregon 7 years ago and discovered this gem of a nut. I substitute hazelnuts in the place of other nuts in most of the recipes I make now. If you are not lucky enough to have fresh hazelnuts near you pecans make a good substitute in this recipe. This can be made and eaten plain, that’s how my husband prefers them, but I like them dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with more hazelnuts. Enjoy and make these for your sweetheart this week.

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
2 1/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill white flour
1/4 cup hazelnuts, ground fine
1 cup dipping chocolate
1/4 cup hazelnuts, ground

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add egg yolks and mix for 30 seconds. Add flour and hazelnuts and mix until just combined, do not over mix. Form into a ball and flatten slightly, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On lightly floured surface roll shortbread dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut out shapes using your favorite heart shaped cookie cutters. Place on lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Cool on a wire rack.

Melt chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir and place back in microwave another 30 seconds. Repeat one or two more times until the chocolate is melted. Dip half the cookie in the melted chocolate and sprinkle with the hazelnuts. Place on lined baking sheet to set.

Hazelnut Facts from Oregon Hazelnuts

The hazelnut became Oregon’s official State Nut in 1989.
Hazelnuts are also known as “filberts.”
About 650 Oregon farm families grow hazelnuts on 28,400 acres.
Hazelnut trees can produce until over 80 years of age.
The hazelnut is unique in that it blooms and pollinates in the middle of winter. Wind carries the pollen from yellow catkins to a tiny red flower, where it stays dormant until June, when the nut begins to form.
n 1858, the first cultured hazelnut tree was planted in Oregon by retired Hudson’s Bay Company employee, Sam Strictland in Scottsburg.

Northwest Rocky Road Cookie Sandwiches

February 10, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

Chocolate Chip Cookie + Marshmallow + Hazelnuts = Love on the Mountain in Oregon this Valentine’s Day. I added some chopped hazelnuts to my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and sandwiched it with a fluffy marshmallow cream filling. This version of rocky road cookies gets that Fresh From Oregon taste with the Oregon grown hazelnuts I added. If you do not have any hazelnuts you can use walnuts or almonds they will work just as well.

Northwest Rocky Road Cookie Sandwiches

Cookies:
1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup plus 2 tablespoon Bob’s Red Mill white flour
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheet with silicone pad or parchment paper. In the bowl of a mixer cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In medium bowl mix baking powder, baking soda and flour. Add to the butter mixture combine until mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips and hazelnuts.

Drop round tablespoons on to the baking sheet. Bake cookies 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Marshmallow filling:
1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a mixer bowl beat marshmallow fluff and shortening on low and increase to medium speed, beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed and add the confectioners sugar and vanilla, and beat until mixed. Increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Assemble cookie:
Place about 2 tablespoons filling on one cookie and place on another cookie on top to create the sandwich.

Pears, Blue Cheese and Hazelnuts do I need to say any more?

January 22, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

Here is another recipe I adapted from the Cook to Books January challenge from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan. The original recipe was a Gorgonzola-Apple Quiche and to make it a Fresh From Oregon taste I made it with pears and an Oregon blue cheese and added hazelnuts to the crust. I was at the Portland Farmers Winter Market this past Saturday and picked up a few really nice ripe pears. If you want the best blue cheese in Oregon then you need the Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese. It has a high price per pound but worth it and you only need 2 ounce in this quiche and you will taste the difference. I decided to make this for lunch yesterday and serve to my husband and son and was ready for the reaction “Quiche” is not a man’s meal. But to my surprise they both enjoyed it and ate every bite. I served it with a mixed greens tossed salad and dried cranberries and my homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette and topped it with some candied walnuts. Enjoy my version below and let me know how you like it.

Pear and Blue Cheese Quiche with Hazelnut Crust
Hazelnut Tart Dough
1 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill white flour
2 Tablespoon hazelnuts, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoon butter, cold
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon water, cold

I made my dough in the food processor really quick and easy. Place flour, hazelnuts, sugar and salt in bowl of food processor with the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to mix, add the butter in small pieces and pulse again to make smaller pieces. Add egg and water and pulse until the dough holds together when pinched. I found I needed to add another teaspoon of cold water since I added in the hazelnuts. Dump the dough onto the counter and gather together into a ball and flatten to a disk shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, I refrigerated my dough over night. To bake the dough I lightly floured my counter and sprinkled some flour on the top of the dough and rolled it out to slightly bigger than my tart pan. Place the dough in a 9-inch tart pan and gently press into the bottom and up the sides taking off any extra dough along the side. With a fork prick the bottom crust in several places. I lined the crust with foil and added beans to keep the bottom and side in place while it baked. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, remove foil and bake another 3 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.

Pear and Blue Cheese filling
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
1 pear, peeled and diced small
2 ounces Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs, (I used 1 more egg than the original recipe used)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the onion and salt & pepper to taste. Cook until slightly brown, about 5 minutes. Spread the onions in the bottom of the hazelnut tart shell. Evenly spread the pears and then the blue cheese over the onions. In small bowl beat the heavy cream and eggs, season with salt and pepper, pour over the pears and blue cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown or a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Set on rack for at least 5 minutes to set the eggs completely. The Fresh From Oregon Quiche is ready to serve, enjoy.

Recipe adapted from: Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan