Challenge Book #37 - Hazelnut Wafers

It's the ANZAC Day weekend here in Australia, the time in which we remember all our servicemen and women. So I really should be posting something iconic and patriotic like ANZAC biscuits or pie floaters or something. But I just didn't quite get around to it.

In actual fact I have spent very little time in the kitchen in recent weeks. I have been caught up in researching my family tree. This is supposed to be my Father's new hobby, but given his complete lack of computor skills I am the bunny that gets to scrawl through endless census returns and electoral rolls. Who knew that there could be so many people born with the same name in the same year in the same town? I'm beginning to wonder if there was ever anyone in England born without the names Henry, William or Edward. Sadly (or not as the case may be) I seem to have no claims to the nobility - this is pure peasant blood in these here veins.

I'm pretty sure my forebears would never have dreamed of snacking on something like this - hazelnut wafers and brie cheese. Bit of a stark change from gruel. But I'm sure they would have loved it. I must have gotten my tastebuds from somewhere after all.



These wafers are feather light, super crunchy and taste of pure hazelnut. They are lightly sweet. I think they went fantastically with a gorgeous brie cheese like this or with a sharp cheddar some dried apricots and apple. And then I ate the rest on there own just like normal biscuits. It was all good.



And they really are not hard to make. I didn't quite spread the mixture as thinly or evenly as I should. So my wafers coloured a bit unevenly. But it didn't seem to matter in how they tasted.

The recipe comes from the delicious days cookbook by Nicole Stich - which is by the way Book # 37 in the KJ wants a Kitchen Aid Challenge. Nicole is of course one half of the delicious days website which is a vision of foodie loveliness. I was only given this book recently as a get well present so this is the first thing I have tried. I have, however, tried other recipes from the website, including the most gorgeous foccaccia in the world.

Hazelnut Wafers
(adapted from delicious days)

80gm ground hazelnuts
20 gm whole hazelnuts, chopped
50gm sugar
20gm plain flour
3 egg whites

Mix the ground nuts with the sugar, salt and flour. Break up the egg whites with a fork so that they are a bit foamy (but not stiff). Stir into the nut mixture.

Line a baking tray with paper and spread the mixture in a very thin and even layer. Sprinkle over the chopped nuts.

Bake in a 175C oven for 14-16 minutes until it is an even brown colour. Slide the paper off onto a rack and allow the wafer to cool. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.