Nuttier than a fruitcake

Last weekend saw a fleeting visit to Sydney for a family celebration. While I was in town, one of my main priorities was to visit two of my very best friends, Katie and Beau FarmGate, at the Marrickville markets, to gorge on their new season apples and pears (I mean, who doesn’t reserve space in their luggage for fruit?). Last year I spent many weekends working for the FarmGates’ family business, the Nashdale Fruit Co, at farmers’ markets around Sydney, leading to a dangerous addiction to their unwaxed and virtually chemical-free apples. At the peak of this madness I would be eating four a day, sometimes more. Being seasonal however, I began to suffer from withdrawal symptoms as supplies ran low and the weather became warmer. Thankfully the summer months heralded the arrival of their beautiful stone fruit including peaches and cherries which was enough to get me through to Autumn.

This time on the other side of the counter, I was excited to see some heirloom varieties for sale that I hadn’t encountered before, including Belle de Boscoff and Fameuse apples and Conference, Howell and Lemon Bergemont pears. Being in the frenzy I was, I didn’t have time to do a proper tasting to share the delights of these varieties with you, so I urge you to visit them to find out for yourself. Needing other supplies that would travel well, I also picked up half a kilogram of mountain hazelnuts in the shell from a neighbouring farm in Orange. As we know, I’m not much of a baker (yet), so I thought I might get cracking on some hazelnut biscuits this week (haha cracking. See how I did that?)

I found a perfect recipe pairing the nuts with their BFF chocolate in the archives of Australian Gourmet Traveller, which I have reproduced below.

Crazy in the hazelnut

Baci di dama (ladies’ kisses)
Serves 24

These crumbly, bite-sized biscuits originate in Piedmont, famous for its hazelnuts and chocolate.

Cooking Time Prep time 15 mins, cook 45 mins (or if you’re me, prep time 60 mins)

105 g (¾ cup) shelled hazelnuts, roasted and peeled (see method below)160 gm (1 cup) pure icing sugar
125 g softened butter
1 orange, finely grated rind only
1 vanilla bean, scraped seeds only
150 g (1 cup) plain flour

Chocolate filling

150 gm dark chocolate (60% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
25 g butter
25 ml pouring cream

Preheat oven to 180C. If using hazelnuts in the shell, crack the shells and remove the nuts, roast in the oven for 10 minutes and then, while the nuts are still hot, rub between two tea-towels to remove skins. Using a food processor, process hazelnuts and icing sugar until nuts are finely ground.

Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter, rind, vanilla seeds, hazelnut mixture and a large pinch of salt until creamy, then add flour, stirring until just combined (do not overmix).

Roll half-teaspoon of dough into balls and arrange about 6cm apart on baking paper-lined oven trays. Bake one tray at a time in centre of oven until golden (12-15 minutes), then cool on trays over a wire rack. Repeat with remaining biscuits. Keep an eye on your biccies as they’re cooking. Our oven tends to be on the hot side and I found they cooked in just under 10 minutes.

For chocolate filling, combine chocolate, butter and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until melted. Stir until glossy and smooth, then cool to room temperature.

Spread half-teaspoon of chocolate filling onto the flat side of half the biscuits (you may have a little filling left over), then sandwich with remaining biscuits, pressing lightly together to seal. Biscuits will keep in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving.

May contain traces of deliciousness

Confirmation of my baking success came after I posted a photo on Twitter and Helen from Grab Your Fork exclaimed ‘they look awesome. Just like the recipe picture!’. I was so proud! And, as if it was needed, further confirmation was provided by the fact that they tasted freaking delicious. The size of a 20c coin, they will be perfect to have with coffee tomorrow night, when guests are coming for dinner. If they last that long…

Visit Nashdale Fruit Co at Manly, Marrickville, Cronulla, Glenbrook, Castle Hill, Rouse Hill, Windsor and Penrith farmers’ markets.