chocolate mousse tart with hazelnuts

the goods:

crust:
18 sugar cones (6 ounces total)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

filling:
1 and 3/4 cups heavy cream
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

topping:
1/3 cup peeled raw hazelnuts
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt



Make crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, combine cones, salt, and sugar; process until fine crumbs form. With machine running, slowly pour butter through feed tube and process until mixture resembles wet sand.



Press crumbs in bottom and up sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.



Bake until crust is golden brown and set, 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.



Make topping: In a small saucepan, combine hazelnuts, granulated sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Strain hazelnuts and spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.



Bake until nuts are toasted and shiny, 15 minutes. Let cool completely.



Make filling: In a medium saucepan, bring 3/4 cup cream to a simmer; remove from heat and add chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes; whisk to combine, then let cool to room temperature.



In a large bowl, whip 1 cup cream with confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form.



Gently fold in chocolate mixture until combined.



Pour filling into cooled crust and refrigerate until chilled and completely set, about 1 and 1/2 hours.







To serve, top with hazelnuts.

pumpkin icebox pie

the goods:

crust:
16 cinnamon graham crackers
1 tablespoon dark-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

filling:
3 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin (from 2 packets)
1 can (29 ounces) pure pumpkin puree -or homemade pumpkin puree
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (plus more for garnish)
3/4 teaspoon salt

topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar



Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, combine graham crackers, sugar, and salt; process until fine crumbs form. With machine running, slowly pour butter through feed tube and process until mixture resembles wet sand.



Press crumbs in bottom and up sides of a 9-inch square baking dish. Bake until crust is deep golden brown and fragrant, 20 minutes. Let cool completely.



Meanwhile, make filling: Place 1/4 cup cold water in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin on top and let stand 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree and cream cheese until smooth.



In a small saucepan, combine evaporated milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; bring to a simmer over medium. Add gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Pour milk mixture into pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely smooth.



Pour filling into cooled crust and refrigerate until chilled and completely set, about 3 hours or up to overnight. To serve, whip cream with confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.

chocolate-caramel doughnut holes

the goods:

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup sugar, plus more for coating
3/4 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
28-30 store-bought soft caramel squares, unwrapped
5 to 6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together sugar, buttermilk, butter, and eggs until thoroughly combined. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture just until a smooth dough forms.



On a floured work surface, pat dough flat and lightly flour. Roll out dough to a 1/3-inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a 2 and 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Reroll and cut scraps.



Place a caramel in the center of each round, pinch dough closed around it, and gently roll into a smooth ball.



Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Fill a wide shallow bowl with 1 inch sugar. In a heavy pot, heat 4 inches oil until it registers 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, or until a pinch of flour dropped in sizzles.



In batches of 4, fry doughnuts 5 minutes, turning with a slotted spoon and adjusting heat as needed. Transfer doughnuts to prepared sheet; let rest 4 minutes. Roll in sugar to coat. Serve immediately.