pear and hazelnut crostada

so, i'm back.

and, with one of my favorite

desserts:

a pear crostada that

has successfully served

several thanksgivings.

every year,

after i've had my first bite,

i think, why don't i make

this at the first sign

of fall, when pears are popping

up left and right at the markets?

the answer is simple:

i really don't make desserts

without an occasion.

but if i was the type of person

who decided on a sunday

to just make a pie or tart

to enjoy after dinner,

this would be the one that

i would turn to,

time and time again.

because, without a doubt,

this is my kind of dessert.

reason 1: it's fruit based.

if given the choice,

i will almost always pick a

fruity sweet - something with

apples, plums, peaches,

blueberries, strawberries,

bananas, pineapples -

over a chocolate concoction.

make it an in season,

peak of their prime fruit,

like juicy pears,

and you don't even have to ask.

just cut me a sliver.

reason number 2: it has a crust.

maybe because it took me so

long to feel comfortable making

pie crusts or maybe it's just because

pastry crusts are

buttery, tender and lovely,

but i just think there is something

incredibly special about

pies, tarts

and their flaky bases.

unless you're offering me carrot cake, too,

i'll take the pie, please.

reason number 3: hazelnuts.

i never really understood the power

of these buttery fragrant nuts

until i started making

larry's birthday cake.

but then, i was hooked. once

toasted and husked, they offer

an unparalleled element to sweet

and savory preparations. here,

they get double time to shine:

first, they're ground with flour

to form the base in the crust,

then whirled in the food processor

with butter and brown sugar

to make the crumb topping.

reason number 4: it's a crostada.

ok, if i'm being honest, this is

probably what drew me to the

recipe. when i first printed it out,

years ago, i had finally come to

terms with the fact that it is not

that hard to throw ingredients

in a food processor to make a crust.

but, my rolling, transferring and

pressing prettily into a pie pan skills?

still shaky. a crostada, in which

i could roll the dough out into

as close to a circle as i could get

it, pile it high with pears and then

fold over the edges, this way

and that, was right up my alley.

read: it's forgiving.

reason number 5: it can be made in steps.

well, i don't live with my mom anymore,

but that's where we celebrate thanksgiving.

even though this fall beauty is rustic,

i still think it's a little fragile -

i'd rather not bake, then transport.

(although, probably, that's my own paranoia.)

i love that i can show up

at my mom's house with:

a disk of dough that is still chilled after

an over an hour in the car, a container of

buttery hazelnut crumbs for the top,

three ripe pears and a tiny plastic bag

of flour and sugar to later mix with

those pears. oh, and there's usually

an orange rolling pin sticking

out of my bag, too, but a bottle of wine

would work just as well.

still not convinced?

well, let me tell you a couple other

things. this is the kind of crostada

that makes people tell you how good

it smells in the house before they're

even fully inside. it's the type of

crostada, that i think actually looks fun

to make - so much so that almost every

year, one of my sisters helps roll

the dough, fold the edges

or adds the crumbs on top.

and, most importantly, it's the type of

crostada that makes everyone at my

mom's thanksgiving table take a slice:

from someone who always thinks

they are too full to even come back to the table,

to a chocoholic, to another who doesn't

even eat dessert. ever.

and that, i think, is enough of a reason right there.

pear and hazelnut crostada

adapted from bon appetit magazine

over the years, i've done everything from making the piecrust and crumb topping over the weekend and freezing them until wednesday night, to just making them both thursday morning and chilling until i leave to go to my mom's. they both work just fine. oh, and if you're really on your game, give yourself a head start by toasting and husking the hazelnuts the night before. directions are here.

i should note that the one difficulty i've had with this recipe is the baking time. it instructs 400˚f in the bottom third of the oven for 40 minutes, then 12 more after that. i've never even made it to the extra 12. in fact, 40 minutes seems too long. next year, i am absolutely baking this in the center of the oven for 30 minutes and then checking to prevent it from getting too brown. (in fact, this time, i took it out after about only 26 minutes of baking and it was already darker than i would have liked it.) below, however, i'm including the directions from the original recipe. enjoy it - oh, and pick up some vanilla ice cream, too.

topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and husked

5 tablespoons packed golden brown sugar

3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cubed

pinch of salt

in bowl of food processor, combine all ingredients; blend 1 minute, or until clumps form. transfer to small bowl or container; chill until needed. no need to clean the food processor between steps.

crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup bread flour

1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and husked

3 tablespoons packed golden brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cubed

2-3 tablespoons ice water

in bowl of food processor, combine all-purpose flour, bread flour, hazelnuts, sugar and salt; blend 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until hazelnuts are finely chopped. add butter and pulse, just until coarse meal forms. with motor running, drizzle in 2 tablespoons ice water and process just until a ball of dough forms, adding more water, a teaspoon at a time, if necessary. transfer dough to work surface and form until a ball; flatten into a disk. wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.

when you're ready to bake. heat oven to 400˚f. place dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll dough to a 13-inch round (or as close to a round as you can get), lifting paper, smoothing wrinkles and turning as needed. remove and discard top piece of parchment paper. transfer bottom piece of parchment paper with dough to a large unrimmed baking sheet.

filling

1 3/4 pounds ripe bartlett pears, peeled, quartered, cored and thinly sliced

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

in medium bowl, gently combine pears, sugar and flour.

place pear mixture in center of dough, mounding high and leaving a 2-inch border. using parchment paper as an aid, if necessary, fold dough over pears, pleating loosely and pinching to seal any cracks.

sprinkle hazelnut topping over pears (it will seem like a lot, but still, put it all on there). bake 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. (start checking it after about 20 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn.) tent very loosely with foil to prevent over-browning and bake until juices bubble thickly, about 12 minutes more. transfer baking sheet to rack; cool completely or just until warm. slide large spatula under crust to free from parchment and transfer to a platter (note: my mom and i transfer it every year using three large spatulas and finger-crossing.)

why i cool my cakes like this (and other ways to make cheesecake-baking less stressful)

yes, in the end, 

my first go 

at the 

hazelnut chocolate chunk cheesecake 

was a success. 

but in the years that followed, i

worked hard 

to make sure that

i wouldn't collapse 

of anxiety, 

at the mere sight of

my springform pan.

here are my

sanity-savers.

1) husking the hazelnuts

if you've ever tried to get the skin off of the hazelnuts, chances are, you never wanted to do it again. i did. but, then i learned to jump start the process by spritzing the whole nuts with a very small amount of water, before toasting them. once they come out of the oven, cover immediately with a small clean kitchen towel and let sit until cool enough to handle. then, wrap a bunch in the kitchen towel and rub back and forth between the palms of your hands. next, just pluck the cleaned nuts from the towel, dump the skins and start over. the water and towel both help to slightly steam and loosen the skins, making them much easier to remove.

2) knowing when to say when

the above method makes husking hazelnuts a million times easier. that being said, sometimes, some of the skin is never going to budge. don't spend all night fighting it - especially when used for things like crusts and crumbles - it will be fine. just move onto the next nut. you can't save them all.

3) chopping nuts in the food processor

a lot of recipes instruct to chop nuts by hand rather than tossing them into a food processor for one simple reason: under the blade, they can go from chopped to butter in the blink of an eye. the best way to prevent this is to toss some granulated sugar in with the nuts before pulsing. the sugar creates friction that makes it just that much harder for the oily little devils to completely break down. luckily, the crust in this birthday recipe called for 2 Tbs. sugar; i saved a step by combining them, above.

4) preventing the cracks ahead of time

cheesecakes are notorious for cracking. stop cracks in their tracks, by providing a mock water bath for the cake. instead of fussing with tightly wrapping the pan with foil and crossing your fingers that the water you've set your confection in, doesn't seep into the crust, simply fill a 9 x 13 pan with hot water. just before baking, set it on the lower rack in the oven; place the cheesecake on the center rack above it. the moisture from the water will still waft up and help prevent rifts in the cream cheese-based filling, even without direct submersion.

5) preventing and fixing the cracks after baking

once the cheesecake is finished baking (it will appear set around the edges, but still be slightly jiggly in the center), immediately pull it from the oven. run a very sharp knife around the edge to separate the cake and the edge of the pan. this prevents after-the-fact-cracking that can occur as the cheesecake cools. often this happens because, the cake shrinks slightly toward the center, but the edges are stuck to the pan and unable to contract with it. enter: round cracks. twice, my cheesecake has cracked in a circle, i've separated it anyway and come back an hour later to a completely closed up cake. it really works. 

6) easy cool-down

dramatic temperature changes - going from a smoking hot oven to a cool kitchen can be rather traumatic for a delicate (yet hardy) baked good. help the cheesecake make an easier adjustment by placing the pan (after completing number 4), back in the now off oven. use a wooden spoon to prop the door open and let it rest for 1 hour. then, transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let it cool completely.

7) final cooling

a lot of people have great, sturdy and well-elevated cooling racks. i don't. it's a shame, those racks, help the cakes cool faster and because air can circulate around them better, they cool upward as well,  preventing crusts and bottoms from becoming soggy. but, i refuse to let a so-so rack sabotage all the above work. so, i recreate the scenario by propping it up on overturned glasses (top picture). works like a charm.

8) adding liquid to melted chocolate

chocolate, even in its simplest-don't-have-to-temper-form, is finicky. a drop of water is enough to harden a melted batch. so, can you imagine trying to add a tablespoon of liqueur for the topping? not fun. instead, melt the chocolate (either in small increments in the microwave or the double boiler) with the liqueur, making sure to stir often. much easier. also, when it's time to add the sour cream, stir in a tablespoon first (instead of the whole quarter cup) and make sure to incorporate thoroughly before adding the rest. 

a birthday cake for larry

not very pretty. but don't let that stop you. it's really good. and - and this is a good time to pull this one out - it's rustic.

less than six months into dating, 

larry and i stumbled into one of our first

relationship roadblocks: a birthday.

larry's to be precise.

i'm obsessive and i want everything to

be perfect and memorable and,

in sad reality,

i want it to be the best

birthday that anyone has ever had.

ever.

but for larry's birthday,

it was different.

because

the world

the media,

the restaurants

and the

card stores will not

let go of the fact that

cupid claimed rights

to the day

first.

that first year, he insisted

on treating the day

as a normal valentine's day.

it was decided that we would

celebrate

his birthday

the following weekend, but

that he would be planning the 14th

for me.

we went for crab cakes

and he gave me

flowers

and

a card

and it was nice

and delicious.

but it seemed so

wrong.

here it was,

his birthday and

we were surrounded

by kissing couples,

red and pink for miles

and hearts

dangling around us.

so the following year,

a decision was made

that conventional

valentine's day -

sap and all -

was a thing of the past

and instead,

future february 14ths

would be spent at home,

with special meals

and a promise

that behind our door,

it was just a birthday.

but, then, i had to pick

a menu.

it was intricate and i remember

something about taking

a vacation day on the 13th

to prepare

for the meal

and for the cake.

the cake. i had asked him

a month before about his

favorite cake.

a cheesecake, he said.

nothing more specific.

i set to work, scouring

the internet,

books, in which,

the main subject,

was cheesecake.

turning pages away from

the ones that were ordinary,

topped with

apple pie filling,

blueberries,

sliced strawberries,

chocolate shards or

caramel drizzles.

i clicked away from

endless recipes

that had plain

chocolate cookie crumb bottoms

or nothing in the middle

or those made with ricotta.

i transferred my

what-should-we-do-for-is-birthday?

obsession

to finding the perfect cake,

with no idea what i was looking for.

then, three weeks in

(and only a week from his birthday),

i found this recipe

and i knew i would be OK.

i loved that the crust was not

just vanilla wafers

or just chocolate,

that it was both,

with toasted hazelnuts

tossed into the mix.

i loved that it

reached up the sides,

and at the top,

the crumbs were

met with a tangy chocolate

glaze. and i loved that the

sweet filling

was simple,

but given a boost with

hazelnut liqueur

and chopped

chocolate.

on the 12th, it snowed.

heavily.

on the 13th,

i had to dig my

car out

to go shopping.

it was after 2 by the time

i was able to start the

the cake and by 3:30,

i was tired.

and i only had one step done.

it sounds good to have

three main crust components,

but they required:

figuring out how many

vanilla wafers it takes

to get to 1 1/2 cups

of vanilla wafer crumbs,

chopping a bunch of chocolate chips,

toasting, husking, cooling

and chopping hazelnuts,

making and baking

a crust

and cooling the

whole thing completely

before adding the filling.

i had chocolate smeared

on my face,

runaway hazelnuts

on the floor,

and crumbs everywhere.

when it was time to make

the filling, i realized,

i again had to chop

(by hand!) a cup of chocolate

chips. an hour later, when i

opened the oven and saw

a large jagged crack

down the center

of the cheesecake,

i cried.

later, when i tried to make

the glaze to smear on top

(and patch up the hole),

it seized in the bowl.

i melted and melted

until i had chocolate

that moved

and would

spread.

that night,

i crashed

the moment

i hit the bed.

on the 14th, i thought,

new day. birthday.

the cheesecake

was done. it was

chilling,

waiting

patiently for its

turn after the

artichoke appetizer,

seared scallops,

roasted asparagus

and

baked goat cheese mashed potatoes,

which we ate by the fire (three brown tea lights),

on a blanket,

on the floor,

of my tiny studio

apartment

that was not big enough for a

table.

and when the food was away,

i closed the door to

my teeny studio kitchen,

whipped some cream with a

splash of sweet vanilla extract

and a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar,

to dollop on top.

i placed a candle in the

not-so-pretty cake,

lit the end,

and proudly, carefully,

sheepishly, walked into the next

room and sang,

a very off-key happy birthday

to larry.

we sat with our slices,

he, just happy,

me, marveling that in spite

of everything, the crust was

crisp and special, the filling,

ultra-creamy,

the topping a sweet,

but welcome contrast.

and, then, just when i started to

feel like, i did OK,

he had a nice valentine's day-free,

birthday to remember and

i could sleep well,

larry turned to me,

smiled

and said,

i can't believe you know

how to make

whipped cream.

larry's birthday cheesecake

soon, after larry got over his shock that i can make whipped cream, he told me it was the best cheesecake ever and asked if it could become his annual birthday cake. i knew that i would not survive even a second birthday following the instructions as written and played around with them slightly, trying to think it through from beginning to end, in a more logical fashion. if you have a food processor (or a mini one) the crust is a breeze. i also was fortunate enough to work at a magazine where i spent much of my time, writing and researching food tips, several of them pertaining to cheesecake and nuts. i think, after several years and several birthdays (sorry, lar), i finally have it down, using bittersweet chocolate now instead of semi-sweet and extra hazelnut liqueur. this past weekend, the process - with the exception of the fact that i couldn't find the bottom to my springform pan at first - was stress-free. you can certainly make this cake in one day...and broken down this way, it would be much easier than my first time, but i separated it into days. it seems more manageable this way. oh, and i plan to post soon with a lot of the tips.

3/4 cup hazelnuts

1 pkg. (11.5 oz.) bittersweet chocolate morsels, divided

45 vanilla wafers (approximately)

2 Tbs. plus 1 cup granulated sugar, divided

3 Tbs. unsalted butter

3 pkgs. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup plus 1 heaping tablespoon hazelnut liqueur, divided

1/4 cup sour cream

three days before

heat oven to 300˚F. place hazelnuts on rimmed baking sheet. toast, cool and remove husks from nuts.

store in airtight container.

two days before

heat oven to 300˚F. place 1 1/3 cups chocolate morsels in bowl of mini food processor. pulse several times or until small chunks form (see picture above). remove one-quarter chocolate and place in medium size bowl. place remaining three-quarters chocolate in airtight container. place vanilla wafers in bowl of mini food processor; process until finely ground. add to bowl with chocolate. place toasted and husked hazelnuts in bowl of food processor; add 2 Tbs. sugar. pulse 10 times, or just until chopped, making sure not to grind too finely (otherwise the hazelnuts can turn into nut butter). add hazelnut-sugar mixture to bowl. in separate small bowl, melt butter. stir melted butter into crumb-chocolate mixture until coated. place springform pan with a removable bottom on baking sheet. press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of pan, using bottom of cup to even out crust. bake 15 minutes. place on cooling rack and cool completely. cover tightly with foil.

one day before

heat oven to 350˚F. in bowl of electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy; gradually add remaining 1 cup granulated sugar. add eggs, one at a time. add hazelnut liqueur; mix just until combined. stir in reserved chopped chocolate chips. pour into crust. place springform pan on baking sheet. bake 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until set on the edges and slightly jiggly in the middle. turn off oven. using sharp knife, run knife around edge, between crust and pan. place cake (still in pan) back in oven. using wooden spoon, prop open door and let cool 1 hour. remove pan from oven and place on cooling rack. let cool completely. wrap tightly and store in fridge.

two hours before

in bowl, combine remaining hazelnut liqueur and remaining chocolate chips. heat 45 seconds, stirring once, or until melted. stir 1 tbs. sour cream into chocolate mixture until completely combined. stir in remaining sour cream. using an offset spatula, spread chocolate over top of cooled cheesecake. cover and chill until ready to serve.