Displaced Housewife’s 24K Gold Hazelnut Bars
Bring a little edible bling to the party with these dazzling holiday cookie bars. Your host won’t be the only one thanking you — the guests will love you, too. Santa Ynez Valley’s Rebecca Firth, creator of the blog Displaced Housewife, calls these the MVP award winner for easiest holiday treat ever, and their baller status makes them perfect for a hostess gift. The recipe is one of more than 75 featured in Firth’s “The Cookie Book: Decadent Bites for Every Occasion” (Page Street, $22). From the stunning contrast of dark and white chocolate to the crumbled hazelnuts and edible 24K gold, they’re the next best thing to jewelry; www.displacedhousewife.com.
Displaced Housewife’s 24K Gold Hazelnut Bars
Makes 15bar cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2½ cups dark chocolate, finely chopped 2tablespoons unsweetened dark (Dutch processed) cocoa powder
2tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons Frangelico
1teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon sea salt
1½ cups raw hazelnuts, coarsely chopped, divided 1¼ cups white chocolate, finely chopped 1tablespoon vegetable shortening
1 sheet edible gold leaf
DIRECTIONS
Grease and line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the sides. Set aside.
Add the sweetened condensed milk, dark chocolate, cocoa powder and butter to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until smooth and melted. This should take several minutes. Add the Frangelico, vanilla, sea salt and 1cup hazelnuts, stirring to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Let set for several hours.
In a medium, heat-safe bowl, combine the white chocolate and shortening and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Don’t let the water touch the bowl or let the water come to a boil. Stir constantly until melted. Pour the white chocolate evenly over the top of the Frangelico-chocolate mixture, again smoothing with a clean offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the remaining hazelnuts along the edges, leaving the middle part free from nuts. Let set for an hour.
Grab a clean, new paintbrush, a glass of water and your edible gold leaf. Press the gold leaf around the surface of the white chocolate, leaving little bits of gold leaf, and then dampen your brush and lightly brush it over the gold leaf to spread it around. Use sparingly; we’re going for vintage vibes, not Miami after dark.
Use the overhanging parchment paper to pull the bars out of the baking dish and cut with a sharp knife, cleaning it between cuts for nice, clean bars. In the summer, I keep these in the fridge until serving time; in the cooler months, I let them hang on the counter. Either way, make sure they’re wrapped tightly if you’re not eating them immediately.
— From “The Cookie Book: Decadent Bites
for Every Occasion” by Rebecca Firth