This is one of my very favourite ways to finish a meal. It is a little less than a dessert but a little more than a chocolate.
The origins of the ‘Tronchetto’, which means little log, is from Piemonte, the north eastern region of Italy.
Hazelnuts grow in abundance there and are very rich in their oil content, making them perfect for desserts.
- Ingredients
- 4 organic egg yolks
- 150 caster sugar
- 180 gr unsalted butter
- 100 gr pure, unsweetened cocoa powder
- 200 gr pistacchio nougat, chopped into pieces
- 200 gr whole hazelnuts
- one pinch of salt
in a pan gently roast the hazelnuts
rub the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel to remove the outer skin
beat the egg yolks with the sugar and salt until light and fluffy
add the butter and keep beating until you get a smooth cream
now add the cocoa powder and mix well through
in your magi-mix roughly chop half of the hazelnuts and the nougat
mix everything together adding the rest of the whole hazelnuts
put a sheet of grease proof paper on your kitchen table
pour the 'tronchetto' mass on the paper and shape into a log
wrap the log with alu foil and put in the fridge for a few hours
take the 'tronchetto' out of the fridge just before serving and slice it in 1 cm thick discs
