bake - October 2012 - 67

sweet goods

Hazelnut Nation
You can ﬁnd them in coffee, ice cream, chocolate delicacies, ﬂour, oil and spreads — hazelnuts are all the rage. Alone or mixed with chocolate, the hazelnut is being incorporated into popular food products and dishes in all facets of the food industry; and if the industry is getting nuts about it, there must be a good reason. Based on its retail success, many facets of the food industry are taking advantage of this new nut in the market. Rich in protein and unsaturated fat, the hazelnut contains signiﬁcant amounts of vitamin B1 that help produce energy. For consumers who are following wheat-free and glutenfree diets, hazelnut ﬂour can be a great baking option. Its butter-rich quality makes it a perfect ingredient for crumble toppings or pie crusts. More than 40% of US hazelnut consumption is in cereals and desserts. In fact, at the Sweets and Snacks Expo in Chicago earlier this year, chocolate/nut spreads were on the list of ﬁve trends to watch in 2012. In the dessert industry, chefs are including hazelnuts in a multitude of dishes, taking advantage of the delicious ﬂavor that can complement a variety of simple dessert recipes. Ingredient manufacturers are also including the nut into many foodservice product lines. Because hazelnuts can be roasted or raw, chopped, sliced, or used whole, they add a lovely crunch to confections. They can also be used to make praline or combined with chocolate to make ganache, truffles or even a nutty chocolate mousse. Hazelnut spreads also work well in baking and as a substitute for peanut butter. The chocolate-hazelnut ﬂavor is not overpowering, but it is unique enough to make products stand out. Some ideas for desserts that can be created with hazelnuts include chocolate-hazelnut meringue cake, frozen hazelnut cream cake, chocolate-hazelnut mousse, toasted hazelnut tart, chocolate-hazelnut baklava, and hazelnut semifreddo with caramel sauce. According to Oregon Hazelnut Organization, as the hazelnut’s popularity grows, so does US hazelnut production. The US ranks third as a top producer with 7% after the European Union (13%) and Turkey (80%). There is no denying this growing culinary ﬂavor — today’s peanut could be the hazelnut tomorrow.
P RE G E L A M E R I CA

The Piedmont region in Italy is famous for its hazelnuts which are so valuable and distinct they carry International Geographic Protection by the EU Commission. PreGel is a top provider of hazelnut products for desserts & confections offering 12 different ingredient choices: • 5-Star Chef Pastry Select Chocolate Hazelnut Paste • 5-Star Chef Pastry Select Hazelnut Paste (Dark Roast Hazelnut) • 5-Star Chef Pastry Select Hazelnut Superior Paste (Premium Light Roasted Hazelnut) • 5-Star Chef Pastry Select Chocolate Hazelnut Crisp Filling • PreGel Chocolate Hazelnut Traditional Paste • PreGel Gianduia Traditional Paste (Dark Chocolate Hazelnut) • PreGel Gianduiotto Traditional Paste (Chocolate & Hazelnut Pieces) • PreGel Hazelnut Piemonte Traditional Paste (Dark Roasted Hazelnut) • PreGel Hazelnut Regina Traditional Paste (Premium Light Roasted Hazelnut) • PreGel Gianduiotto Super Sprint (Dark Chocolate Hazelnut) • PreGel Chocolate-Hazelnut Rock Arabeschi® • PreGel Praline Hazelnut Arabeschi®

bakemag.com | OCT 2012 > 67

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bake - October 2012

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