Hazelnut Sandwiches

This is a Linzer cookie sandwiched between hazelnut spread. The recipe makes many sandwiches. I bake off half the dough and freeze the rest for later.

The nut can be changed to pecans, walnuts, almonds or even pistachios. The spread can be any jam that you like.

Hazelnut Sandwiches

8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup raw hazelnuts, ground fine

1 cup soft whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 large egg

Nutella spread

Beat together butter, sugars, baking powder, salt and vanilla in a stand mixer until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Scrape the bowl, add the egg and mix until well combined. Add the hazelnuts and both flours. Mix until combined.

Divide the dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm to touch. Roll pieces of dough between wax paper. It helps to flour both sides of the dough well. Roll to 1/8 inch and cut out shapes of choice. In half of the shapes cut out a hole.

Bake in the center of the oven at 375 F. Remove when the edges are golden. Cool and spread Nutella on one side of the cookie. The side with the hole can be dusted with confectioner sugar before sticking the two cookies together.

Store sandwiches at room temperature in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper or freeze the unfilled cookies and make a sandwich any time you like.

Chewy Chocolate Malt Sandwiches

These sandwiches are really easy to make and have a unique flavor due to the addition of malted milk powder. The cookies have a very chewy and dense texture without being overly sweet.

Chewy Chocolate Malt Sandwiches

Cookies
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tablespoons plain malted milk powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons water

Filling
5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup plain malted milk powder
1 1/2 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons milk, any fat
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To make the cookies, beat butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Add the egg, mascarpone cheese and water. Mix to combine and add the dry ingredients and mix again until well combined.

Place 2 teaspoon size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350F (center of the oven) until puffy but soft to touch. Let cool on the baking sheet.

To make the filling, melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave. In another bowl, combine malted milk powder with mascarpone cheese and mix to combine with a hand held mixer. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix to combine with a hand held mixer. Add this to the chocolate mixture and mix with a hand held mixer until well combined. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes and then beat with electric mixer until light in color and fluffy.

To make the sandwiches, plop some of the filling on the center and sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with the rest of the cookies. Place on a flat surface and let the cookies firm up. Store at room temperature for 1 day or freeze for up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature before eating.

Deep Dish Pizza

This is one of my favorite ways to make pizza. Instead of baking the pizza on a baking stone, it is baked in a cake pan. The really nice part is that the cake pan bottom is covered in olive oil. As the pizza bakes, the oil fries the bottom of the crust. The result is a crispy and very tasty crust.

If you are not going to be able to eat the two pizzas shortly after baking, you can freeze half the dough for later. Pizza sauce and cheese freeze very well too.

To make the pizza sauce, I just take a can of crushed tomatoes and cook them in a saucepan with a little olive oil, garlic and herbs of my choice (oregano, thyme, basil). Season with salt and pepper.

Deep Dish Pizza
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk, any fat
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/3 cups pizza sauce, see notes above
3 cups mozzarella cheese

To make the dough, combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer and mix with a dough hook for 5 minutes. Oil the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in size.

Place 3 tablespoons olive oil on the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan and swirl it around so all of it stays on the bottom and does not go up the sides. Repeat with another cake pan if making two pizzas.

Divide the dough in half and work it into a 9 ½ inch circle Place it into the pan, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until puffy. Repeat with the other half or freeze it. Preheat the oven to 400 F with the bottom rack all the way on the bottom.

Ladle 2/3 cup of sauce on the center of the pizza and spread it to ½ inch from the border. Cover with 1 ½ cups cheese and slide the pizzas into the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese has browned a little.

Remove and let cool for a couple of minutes. This pizza is best eaten fresh when the crust is still crispy from being fried in olive oil.