Hazelnut Cakes

I write the day after the first 2016 Presidential Debate.

And I am at a loss.

Once upon a time, in the dark mists of the 1970’s, the Republican Party was sane. You could hold friendly discussions with its members. These discussions could even cover politics. Ideological disagreements did not culminate in blows. Families did not stop speaking. Separation of church and state was a given.

The world was not like this.

Really.

It is notable that many Republicans do not love their presidential candidate. This leads me to believe sane, kind, reasonable Republicans still exist. Like the truth, they are out there.

Perhaps suggestions for single malt whiskies might go down easier than recipes for nutty cakes. But a few weeks ago I mumbled about offering a recipe for these, so here we go.

This recipe comes to the IK courtesy of David Tanis. In One Good Dish, he makes Brown Butter Almond Cakes, which, he writes, are rather like French Financiers. Tanis feels these cakes are best served with tea or coffee–the implication being as a midafternoon thing–rather than for dessert.

Tea time is not an institution chez IK.  One member of the household is at work during the tea hour, while the other inhabitant is no kind of tea drinker. In our house, hazelnut cakes are considered a breakfast item.

You may or may not recall certain members of the IK household are breakfast-averse. Said persons must therefore be tricked–ah, tempted–with small, lightweight delicacies asking little of head, hand, or digestion. Hazelnut cakes fit the bill perfectly, especially when one procures a mini-muffin tin.

Granted, the production of especially wee cakes, while cute, is hardly necessary for success. A regular twelve-well muffin tin is perfectly fine. These regular-sized fellows, baked September 9th, vanished rapidly.

Some preliminary throat clearing…

The original recipe calls for a tablespoon of rum, which is divine. But live on the edge: use brandy, Applejack, Calvados, or even Armagnac if you’re feeling flush. Amaretto or, of course, Frangelico would only improve matters.

I used a very scant 1/2 cup sugar as we don’t have much of a sweet tooth.

In terms of brown sugar, I confess to using dark and light brown sugars interchangeably. I used light here. If your sugar is hopelessly clumped, The Joy Of Cooking suggests microwaving it. This works, but be careful as the sugar becomes hot.

The original recipe calls for melting a stick of butter and allowing it to cook until it foams and browns slighty. Being impatient, I simply melted the butter and turned off the heat, allowing it to cool while preparing the remaining ingredients. You do need to allow the butter to cool. Otherwise you risk scrambling the eggs in this recipe by pouring hot butter over them.

Regardless of muffin tin size, hazelnut cakes bake quickly–within10-12 minutes. They don’t brown much in the oven, so they won’t appear “done.” A toothpick tester will come out clean.

After these are completely cool, I tumble them into a Ziploc and freeze them, taking them out a few at a time for the picky eater’s breakfast.

I bought whole hazelnuts for this recipe, which I store in the freezer. A quality nutcracker is in my future. Recommendations most welcome.

Final equipment note: if you bake muffins with any regularity, spend an extra few bucks and invest in a good muffin pan. A Wilton or Chicago Metallic will run you $10-30. Your muffins will bake evenly and washing up is far easier. Commercial concluded.

It should go without saying, but if you or your loved ones have a nut allergy, please don’t prepare or serve these. Especially now that Epipens cost more than Palo Alto real estate.