Balsamic-Glazed Strawberries with Half-Dipped Hazelnut Spice Shortbreads
— About 4 dozen cookies
One of Summer’s simplest and best finales to a meal: red-ripe strawberries drizzled with a thick balsamic glaze. Easy, tart-sweet, and healthy! Here the strawberries are accented with crisp shortbreads, richly flavored with ground nuts and spices. To further gild the lily, the shortbreads are topped with crunchy whole hazelnuts and half-dipped in melted bittersweet chocolate.
*Items marked in green are available from The Gourmet Corner.
Shortbread Ingredients
- 1.5 cups roasted hazelnut flour (5 oz)
- 2.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 cup (8 oz) Échiré unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup skinless roasted hazelnuts
- 8-12 oz Cacao Noel Royale 64% chocolate calets (or other 60-65% dark chocolate, finely chopped)
- (optional) 4-6 tsp vegetable shortening, 1 tsp per 2 oz of chocolate used
Prepare the Dough
Whisk the roasted hazelnut flour, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder and spices in a large bowl until they are completely blended. Set aside.
Cream the butter for at least one minute. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar and beat until very light and fluffy, 6-8 minutes. Add the egg and beat until completely incorporated, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until fully combined. Place a long sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap on the counter and scrape the dough onto it in a 12-14″ strip. Wrap the dough in the plastic and gently shape it into a long 2.5″ round or square log. Place in the refrigerator on a flat surface for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Shaping and Baking
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats (Silpat) or parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and use a thin, sharp knife to make 1/3-inch thick slices. Cut each slice in half (diagonally for square slices), then carefully place the halves on the baking sheet. This dough doesn’t spread, so the cookies can be placed 1/2 inch apart. After all the cookies are on the baking sheets, gently press a whole hazelnut into the middle of each. If the hazelnut cracks the dough, press the crack back together.
Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until very lightly browned on the bottom, rotating the trays halfway through the baking time. Transfer cookies to wire rack and cool completely.
Dipping
NOTE: if you know how to temper chocolate, you do not need to use the vegetable shortening to keep it from blooming. Instead of following the melting instructions below, temper the chocolate using your method of choice
Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper or plastic wrap.
Place the chocolate calets (or chopped chocolate) in a small microwave-safe container with the shortening. Since you will need the melted chocolate to deep enough for dipping the cookies in it, a narrow container works best (if you have one, a half-pint mason jar woks extremely well!) You may find it easiest to work with half the chocolate/shortening to start with, adding the remaining chocolate as the level gets too low for dipping. Melt on low power in 30-second intervals, stirring between intervals. Be careful not to overheat the chocolate and burn it! If a microwave isn’t available, melt the chocolate and shortening in a narrow, heat-safe container set in a pan of barely simmering water. Stir gently and avoid having even the tiniest drop of water of steam touch the chocolate, for that will make it seize and turn gritty.
When the chocolate mixture is completely smooth, place it near the cookies (if using a water bath to melt it, be sure to dry the bottom of the bowl first). One by one, half-dip the cookies into the chocolate, shaking each one gently so that excess chocolate falls back into the pool of melted chocolate. Place the dipped cookies on the lined baking sheets and allow the chocolate to harden completely, which will take at least an hour. If the dipping chocolate gets too cool and begins to thicken, re-melt it and continue.
Store the cookies in an airtight container.
Plating
- Ripe strawberries, washed, blotted dry, and hulled
- Fini Balsamic Glaze
- Half-dipped hazelnut spice shortbreads
For each person, arrange 6-8 strawberries in a mound on a small plate or bowl. Drizzle lightly with the Fini Balsamic Glaze. Place a few shortbreads on one side of the strawberries (keep them out of the glaze). Serve immediately.
