I have siimply mixed pistachio butter (i.e., pistachio paste) into neoclassic (1:3 ratio), and it made the most wonderful frosting!  I’m sure you could do the same with the hazelnut paste!

Thanks Anne. That is what I was thinking of doing.  Adding the hazelnut paste to chocolate neoclassic buttercream, or ganache for the frosting.  Oh I can hardly wait!!!

I AM SO ELATED THAT I FINALLY FOUND HAZELNUT PASTE!!!!!  Now, praline paste is another story onto it’s own.  Wish I could find that in my area.  All things in my little world would be good if I did.

For whatever it’s worth, and I mention it becauase you are also using neoclassic, is that the exact quantity I used was 1:4, not 1:3.  Sorry—just checked.  I took the weight of the pistachios called for to decoratae the outside of the sicilian pistachio cake and added that amount of paste to the frosting called for (to keep the flavor ratio the same).  It’s a 3-egg (2-cup) batch of neoclassic and calls for 1/2 c. pistachios, so that’s 1:4 (not the incorrect 1:3 from my previous post).

Snap that stuff up!!!  I’d love to get my hands on some!  Hazelnut paste is really hard to make, because they’re so dry.  It’s hard to get them creamy.  Other nuts—no problem.  Hazelnuts, not so much, so you have a lucky find!!  Can’t wait to hear about your cakes and other uses for it!

Liza - 17 December 2010 07:17 PM

  Adding the hazelnut paste to chocolate neoclassic buttercream, or ganache for the frosting. 

If you’re adding hazelnut paste to ganache, you can look at the peanut butter ganache in RHC (sponge cake section), substituting one butter for the other.  I made the hazelnut version last year for the filling of a buche de noel, and it was great.  If the hazelnut paste tastes fairly strong, you might want to scale back a little on the paste, or else use a very thin layer.  When I served it to a group, some people loved the filling and thought it was perfect, others thought it was too rich and too hazelnutty.  I though it was great, but felt like the roulade should have had more cake and less filling to balance it.

Can’t wait to see what you make!

Hazelnut and almond mix beautifully, flavor-wise, 50-50, if that’s helpful.  The filling for my spekulaas is half/half mixed together and it is insanely delicious.