Hazelnut Crispbreads

Hazelnut catkins…

appearing in what is still the middle of winter here in the northern hemisphere, the hazelnut catkins coupled with the return of the light are what reassure me that spring (and summer and autumn) will come again…

bringing us hazelnuts…

with which to make a multitude of moreish things, such as Nussecken

and Hazelnut Crispbreads

…really quick and easy, these offer a huge return on your minimal effort.

The recipe comes from one of my Scandanavian cookery book discoveries – by the young Swedish cook, Carina Brydling: “Naturally Swedish, The Best 88 Seasonal Recipes” – that is my English translation of the title because – unfortunately – I have (yet) to track down an English version of the book (available as “Natuerlich Schwedisch” in German, published by Christian Verlag GmbH, or “Maten jag älskar”, published in 2009 by Tree Publishing, Stockholm).

I hope there might be an English publisher out there considering translating this wonderful book into English as it is an absolute delight for anyone who enjoys eating with the seasons and tasting the “terroir”…

Carina uses rye flour in her crispbreads recipe – I used buckwheat because that’s what I had available – and they are simply delicious.

The hazelnuts and the raw sugar

add a toasted nut/caramelised sugar dimension that really take these crispbreads up a level.

Hazelnut Crispbreads

 Prep. Time: about 10 minutes

Cooking time: about 10 minutes

Makes 8 to 10 crispbreads

Rye flour, wholemeal                                   150 g

Wheat flour                                                  150 g

Baking soda                                                  1 tsp

Salt                                                                1 tsp

Hazelnuts, shelled                                          80 g

Raw sugar                                                      75 g

Rye flour for rolling

1) Combine the flours, baking soda, salt and 250 millilitres of water to form a stiff dough.

2) Finely chop the hazelnuts and combine with the raw sugar.

3) Divide the dough into 8 to 10 pieces and roll each piece out thinly, using just a dusting of rye flour. Sprinkle each piece with the hazelnut/sugar mixture and press in well with the rolling pin (on both sides of each piece).

4) Place the individual crispbreads on a lined baking sheet and bake in the pre-heated oven (250 °C) for about 5 minutes on each side – keep an eye on them as you want the sugar to caramelize but not burn…

5) Cool on a wire rack – do not stack them until they are completely cold and crisp.

Recommended for serving with goat’s cheese and honey, these crispbreads will glam up your cheeseboard whatever you have on it.