Chocolate Ingots - hazelnuts

Method

• Place the hazelnuts and vegetable oil in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
• Pulse together until the mixture reaches a smooth and creamy consistency (about 1 minute).
• Transfer the hazelnut paste to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
• Melt and temper the chocolate (see pages 2530).
• Pour the tempered chocolate into a paper pastry cone and cut off a 1/2-inch opening at the pointed end of the cone.
• Or pour the chocolate into a plastic squeeze bottle.
• Pipe or squeeze chocolate into six 2 by 4-inch rectangular metal molds or tartlet pans up to the top edge.
• Let the chocolate stand in the molds for minutes.
• Turn the molds upside down over the bowl of chocolate and let the chocolate drip out of the molds.
• This will leave a thin coating of chocolate in the molds.
• Place a large spoonful of hazelnut paste in a line in the center of each chocolate-lined mold.
• Be careful not to let the hazelnut paste come up to the top of the mold.
• Fill each mold with the remaining chocolate, just up to the top edge, then clean off the edges with a flexible-blade spatula.
• When each mold is filled, tap it gently a few times against the countertop.
• This helps the chocolate to spread evenly in the mold and to release any air bubbles that will make holes in the chocolate when it is set.
• Transfer the molds to a baking sheet and place it on a flat surface in the freezer.
• Leave the molds to set in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
• Take the molds out of the freezer and gently tap each several times against a countertop.
• Slip the ingot from the mold.
• Turn the unmolded ingots upside down so the bottom becomes the top.
• Store the ingots between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container wrapped with aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
• They are best served at room temperature.