So its been quite a few months. Last time I logged on I was in Ireland, beginning the most memorable summer of my life. A lot has happened since July. I was able to travel to five different countries in Europe, indulging my worldly knowledge (along with my taste buds) with bites ranging from Soda Bread to Caracoles en Salsa de Almendra. I am also in the middle of researching for my senior thesis, reaping recipes of all sorts along the way.
Some common themes in all the places I visit, in regards to food, are the connections people make with a certain food and their identity. When we typically think of Mexico, what foods come to mind? How about the all encompassing tortilla, the bread of life? How about Ireland? Most of us have a hard time thinking about Irish cuisine sans the potato, and of course the dark brew we call Guinness. The potato has been a staple crop responsible for tripling the European population when it was first imported from South American in the 16th century. The potato was also responsible for the mass exodus of almost a million Irish immigrants during the great blight that ruined the potato crop in 1845. What many people don't know, is that before the potato was introduced, another plant food was essential to the survival of the Irish.
Hazel nuts are one of the foods associated with the very earliest human settlements in Ireland of Mesolithic man. Hazel was used for the strong flexible timber for huts, in building construction and for fencing. Hazel was also a traditional material used to build eel and lobster traps.
The Hazel tree, more so its nuts, was also used in Sacred ritual. Many early Irish tales describe poets and seers as "gaining nuts of Wisdom", which is most likely a metaphor for such heightened states of consciousness, although the more literally-minded have argued that this expression could refer to a potent brew made from hazels that hod psychotropic effects. As to this theory, there are numerous references to drinking "hazelmead" in early Irish literature. The hazel is considered to be the most recognized Celtic tree because of its legendary position in the heart of the next realm. Here, nine magic hazel-trees hang over the well of Wisdom and drop their purple nuts into the water. Those that eat the nuts gain poetic and mantic powers.
Hazel nuts were also consumed in times of scarcity. The hazel nut was revered because of its ability to store well. They were ground into meal,dried, or toasted, and was done to make them more digestible for children. It is also thought that toasting the nuts increased how long they would keep, and they have historically been an useful food for mariners because they keep well.
The abundance of hazel trees found around the Burren, while I was studying in Galway, Ireland, inspired me to look at all the modern uses for hazel. I had never known that this plant was of such importance and besides spreading Nutella on about everything I could find, or occasionally indulging in a hazelnut latte, never gave it much thought. I thought to share properly my love of the Green Isle and everything it encompasses, a chocolate hazelnut pie was in order. I made this for my roommates, and just a warning, did not last very long. I was expecting to serving it for dinner, and while I was out running errands, one of the girls helped herself to a large slice. No worries though, this recipe is easily duplicated and feel free to make two or three for your next party.
Chocolate Hazelnut Pie
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of finely chopped hazelnuts
3 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1/3 cup of butter, melted
1 8-oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of dark chocolate pieces, melted and cooled
1/2 cup of Nutella
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons of milk
1 cup of whipping cream
1/4 cup of dark chocolate pieces
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 1/2 cup of thinly sliced strawberries
1. For crust, in a bowl stir together four, hazelnuts, and brown sugar. Stir in melted butter; toss to mix. Spread evenly in a 9-inch pie plate. Press onto bottom and sides to form a firm, even crust. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for about 8-10 minutes or until browned. Cool
2. For the filling, in another mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, melted chocolate, Nutella, granulated sugar, and milk; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. In a chilled bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form; fold into cream cheese mixture. Line the crust with sliced strawberries and spread chocolate/hazelnut mixture into the cooled crust. Cover loosely and chill for at least several hours to overnight.
3. Before serving, melt 1/4 cup of chocolate pieces and 2 Tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. Drizzle onto pie. Makes about 10 servings
Some common themes in all the places I visit, in regards to food, are the connections people make with a certain food and their identity. When we typically think of Mexico, what foods come to mind? How about the all encompassing tortilla, the bread of life? How about Ireland? Most of us have a hard time thinking about Irish cuisine sans the potato, and of course the dark brew we call Guinness. The potato has been a staple crop responsible for tripling the European population when it was first imported from South American in the 16th century. The potato was also responsible for the mass exodus of almost a million Irish immigrants during the great blight that ruined the potato crop in 1845. What many people don't know, is that before the potato was introduced, another plant food was essential to the survival of the Irish. Hazel nuts are one of the foods associated with the very earliest human settlements in Ireland of Mesolithic man. Hazel was used for the strong flexible timber for huts, in building construction and for fencing. Hazel was also a traditional material used to build eel and lobster traps.
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| Old Celtic Myths revere the Hazel Tree as the Tree of Knowledge |
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| Hazelnut Tree |
The abundance of hazel trees found around the Burren, while I was studying in Galway, Ireland, inspired me to look at all the modern uses for hazel. I had never known that this plant was of such importance and besides spreading Nutella on about everything I could find, or occasionally indulging in a hazelnut latte, never gave it much thought. I thought to share properly my love of the Green Isle and everything it encompasses, a chocolate hazelnut pie was in order. I made this for my roommates, and just a warning, did not last very long. I was expecting to serving it for dinner, and while I was out running errands, one of the girls helped herself to a large slice. No worries though, this recipe is easily duplicated and feel free to make two or three for your next party.
Chocolate Hazelnut Pie
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of finely chopped hazelnuts
3 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1/3 cup of butter, melted
1 8-oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of dark chocolate pieces, melted and cooled
1/2 cup of Nutella
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons of milk
1 cup of whipping cream
1/4 cup of dark chocolate pieces
2 Tablespoons of butter
1. For crust, in a bowl stir together four, hazelnuts, and brown sugar. Stir in melted butter; toss to mix. Spread evenly in a 9-inch pie plate. Press onto bottom and sides to form a firm, even crust. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for about 8-10 minutes or until browned. Cool
2. For the filling, in another mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, melted chocolate, Nutella, granulated sugar, and milk; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. In a chilled bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form; fold into cream cheese mixture. Line the crust with sliced strawberries and spread chocolate/hazelnut mixture into the cooled crust. Cover loosely and chill for at least several hours to overnight.
3. Before serving, melt 1/4 cup of chocolate pieces and 2 Tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. Drizzle onto pie. Makes about 10 servings
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