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1
Place 6 ounces of the chocolate into a 2-quart mixing bowl.
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2
In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a boil.
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3
Pour the cream into the bowl with the chocolate.
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4
Let the mixture stand for 1 minute, then stir together using a rubber spatula, whisk, or immersion blender until smooth and thoroughly mixed.
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5
Stir in the ground hazelnuts and blend well.
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6
Cover, let cool to room temperature, and chill in the refrigerator until thick but not stiff (2 to 3 hours).
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7
Melt and temper the remaining 12 ounces chocolate (see pages 2530).
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8
Pour the tempered chocolate into a paper pastry cone and cut off a 1/2-inch opening at the pointed end of the cone.
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9
Or pour the chocolate into a plastic squeeze bottle.
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10
Pipe or squeeze chocolate into each cavity of a 12-space, 1-inch-deep, spiral-topped chocolate mold.
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11
Tap the mold on a countertop a few times to eliminate air pockets.
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12
Let the chocolate sit in the mold at room temperature for 3 minutes.
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13
Turn the mold upside down over a sheet of parchment or waxed paper and let the chocolate run out.
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14
This will leave a thin film of chocolate coating each cavity of the mold.
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15
With a small flexible-blade spatula, clean off the edges of each cavity of the mold.
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16
Place a hazelnut in each cavity.
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17
Fit a 12-inch pastry bag with a large, plain round pastry tip with a 1/2-inch opening and fill partway with the hazelnut truffle cream.
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18
Pipe the truffle cream into each cavity, filling it just below the top edge.
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19
Fill up the mold cavity with the remaining tempered chocolate.
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20
With a small flexible-blade spatula, clean off the edges of each cavity, if necessary.
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21
Place the mold in the freezer until the chocolate is set (15 minutes).
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22
Remove the mold from the freezer and turn it upside down over a piece of parchment or waxed paper.
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23
Hold the mold by opposite corners and gently twist it in opposite directions.
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24
The candies should drop out of the mold.
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25
If they dont drop out easily, return the mold to the freezer for another 15 minutes and try again.
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26
Place the kisses in paper candy cups.
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27
In a tightly covered container wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the kisses will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.
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28
The kisses taste best at room temperature.
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29
White Chocolate Hazelnut Kisses: For the truffle cream, substitute 8 ounces white chocolate for the 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate and use 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream.
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30
For the coating, replace the bittersweet chocolate with white.
