Serves 8

Ingredients: Hazelnut-Brown Butter Torte

1 ¼ cups roasted hazelnuts

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

1 cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter

½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped

5 large egg whites

1/3 cups almond flour

3 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

extra-virgin olive oil, for serving

seasonal berries or figs (optional)

 

Preparation: Hazelnut-Brown Butter Torte

Preheat the oven to 350º. In a food processor, add the nuts and powdered sugar; process until finely ground.

To brown the butter, place the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Cut open the vanilla bean pod and scrape the seeds in and add the remaining pod to the butter and swirl until butter is melted. Turn heat down to low.

Cook the butter until the milk solids have turned toasty and golden brown, about ten minutes. TIP: The butter will foam up as it gets close, and it will be difficult to see how browned the milk solids have gotten. When the butter starts to smell nutty, remove it from the heat just long enough for the foaming to subside and you can see into the bottom of the pot. When the butter smells nutty and is a deep golden brown, remove from the heat. Cool for about ten minutes before incorporating into the other ingredients. Remove the vanilla pod and discard.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Working in three batches, alternate adding the rest of the dry ingredients and brown butter into the egg whites.

Brush the bottom of a 10” round spring-form cake pan (or a 10” square cake pan) with one tablespoon of the vanilla brown butter. Pour in the batter.

Bake until a toothpick poked into the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove then let cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes before releasing from the pan. 

 

Yields approx. 5 cups

Ingredients: Honey-Chamomile Ice Cream

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

¼ cup honey

1/3 cup dried chamomile flowers

6 large egg yolks

3 tbsp granulated sugar

¼ tsp kosher salt

 

Preparation: Honey-Chamomile Ice Cream

In a medium pot, add the cream, milk and honey; bring to a simmer over medium heat, then remove from the heat. Add the chamomile flowers and let steep ten minutes; strain.

In a medium bowl, add the yolks, sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Slowly pour the cream mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly.

Transfer the ice cream base to a heavy-bottomed, stainless steel pot and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula. As soon as it thickens (and before the eggs scramble), strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Chill to cool completely before transferring to an ice cream machine; spin according to the manufacturer’s directions.

 

Serves 8-10

“Honeycomb” Candy

vegetable oil, for greasing the pan

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

¼ cup honey

¼ cup water

1 tbsp baking soda

 

Preparation: “Honeycomb” Candy

Rub or spray a baking sheet or silicone baking mat with vegetable oil.

In a large, heavy-bottomed, stainless steel pot, add the sugar, honey and ¼ cup water; heat over medium-high until the mixture registers 300º on a candy thermometer.

Immediately remove from the heat and whisk in the baking soda, then quickly pour the mixture onto the prepared sheet pan, but do not smash it down or you will lose the air pockets that make this candy light and crispy.

Let cool to room temperature for about fifteen minutes, then break off shards of the candy, crumbling some and leaving others in larger pieces.

 

Assembly

Serve the cake slightly warm, add a scoop of honey-chamomile ice cream and crumbled honeycomb candy. Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some seasonal fruit and figs, if you like.

 

Wine Pairing

Eola Hills 2015 Vin d’ Epice Late Harvest Gewürztraminer