hazelnut cream

[Rana]

Hello everyone,

I have been going to a cafe that serves pastries with "hazelnut cream". The cream has a really distinctive flavor but I wasn't able to get it. I tried pastry cream with praline, with whipping cream but the flavor is not even close. I tried hazelnut butter cream, also not even close.

I talked to staff and one of them tried to talk to the chef into giving me the secret and all he was willing to say is: I don't use any artificial flavorings or extracts, I use fresh hazelnut.

Can someone please how to make a hazelnut cream using fresh hazelnut?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Rana

Edited August 30, 2013 by Rana (log)

[Lisa Shock]

In Professional Baking by Gisslen, I linked to the version I own, there's an almond pastry filling that is based on creme anglaise with marzipan stirred in while it's warm. I'm thinking that you could sub hazelnut paste/butter for the marzipan. I'm not near the book right now, I can probably post an ingredients list in a couple of days.

[ChrisZ]

The cream has a really distinctive flavor but I wasn't able to get it.

Assuming the hazelnut cream doesn't taste like nutella, do you think they've slipped in some Frangelico?

[Lisa Shock]

Oh yeah, the aforementioned recipe contains amaretto, so, some sort of hazelnut liqueur or extract will be needed for the test.