Chefshell posted 02-18-99
Gianduia Mousse Cake
9 oz. fine quality bittersweet chocolate (Valrhona if you can find it is the best)
7 oz. fine quality milk chocolate
1 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread from a 13 oz. jar)
3/4 cup unsweetend hazelnut butter, recipe follows
6 large eggs
1/2 cup superfine granulated sugar (regular granulated will work, but superfine is best)
1 cup weel chilled heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 10 inch springform pan. Wrap bottom and side of pan with a large piece of heavyduty foil to waterproof.
Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt in a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and stir in Nutella and hazelnut butter until combined well.
In a large bowl of a standing electric mixer or hand held
mixer, beat eggs until frothy, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, beating mixture at a high speed until thick and pale and holds a slowly dissolving ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes, if using standing mixer and about 8 minutes using hand held mixer.
Pout chocolate mixture into egg mixture and stir until well combined.
In a chilled bowl, beat cream until it holds soft
peaks and fold into batter gently but thoroughly.
Pour batter into pan and put pan in a roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to reach halfway up the side of springform pan.
Bake cake in the middle of oven 1 hour and 10 min. Turn off oven and let
cake stand in oven 40 minutes. Remove
springform pan from roasting pan and cool cake in pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Remove side of pan from cake. Let cake cool completely before serving.
Unsweetened Hazelnut Butter
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts (approx. 7 1/2 oz.)
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
Toast & skin nuts in a 350 degree oven in one layer 10 to 15 minutes, or until colored lightly and skins are blistered. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam 1 minute.
Rub nuts in towel to remove loose skins (don't worry about skins that don't come off) and cool completely.
In a food processor grind hazelnuts into a fine paste. Add oil and pulse until combined well. May be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.