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Hazelnut Roll




Here is just a tiny glimpse of what you will see in our home on Christmas Eve. The Hazelnut Roll has been a favorite in our home for many years. It came from a long time acquaintance who could not eat flour. So she shared this dessert with us and it was voted a keeper in our home. It does take some time and patience, therefore when I set out do this task, I make sure I have a morning free and I always make two rolls. Do not try to babysit in between. Do not double the recipe. Make them individually. Take it straight out of the freezer and serve it.

Hazel Nut Roll
  • 6 eggs separated
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 1/4 cup ground hazelnuts
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped
  • Purchased chocolate hazelnut spread
Method
  1. Grease 15x10 cookie sheet.  Line with parchment paper and grease again.
  2. Heat oven to 350'
  3. Using a mixer, beat sugar and egg yolks on high speed for 5 minutes.
  4. Beat in extracts. Beat one more minute.
  5. In a separate bowl add ground hazelnuts, baking powder, and salt. Mix well with fork.
  6. Combine hazelnut mixture with sugar mixture.  Beat for 2 more minutes.
  7. Beat egg whites till stiff, but not dry. Fold egg whites into the cake batter by hand. 
  8. Spread batter in prepared pan.  Bake for 20 -25 minutes.
  9. Flip cake onto a damp cold tea towel, sprinkled with icing sugar, to prevent the cake from sticking.
  10. Remove the parchment paper.
  11. Roll up the cake and let cool for 15-30 minutes.
  12. Unroll and trim off crusty edges if necessary.
  13. Spread with a layer of chocolate hazelnut spread. I use Nutella. 
  14. Then add a layer of whipped cream. I add a stabilizer to the whipped cream. It should be stiffly whipped, otherwise, it is too difficult to roll up.
  15. Roll up the cake once more and garnish with additional cream and hazelnuts.
  16. Freeze the hazelnut roll on a cookie sheet for several hours until hard; then wrap with plastic wrap and seal it in a plastic bag.
Have fun and enjoy the treat!
If you can't figure it out, stop by and I will serve you a piece with freshly roasted coffee.
If you are looking for fresh hazelnuts from our area please contact Peter Andres at
petergandres99@gmail.com or phone at 604.796.2550

37 comments:

  1. Yummy! I still have the hazelnut flavor in my mouth from a hazelnut cookie I just had. My neighbor brought some over. Your rolls look delicious . . . like something for a special occasion and Christmas Eve is! (
    I've done jelly rolls and still wonder at times, do you roll it up along with the towel, the first go? - just in case someone else wonders?)

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  2. Oh my, if this isn't the most beautiful work of art! And it sounds so delicious too. Yum..... Please do answer Anneliese...I have always been far too chicken to attempt a 'roll'....

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  3. ok...hazelnut has just got to be one of my favorite things....this looks great!

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  4. when i have made my chocolate yule log i always roll it with the towel, umm i hope that is what you do 'cause that is what i have been doing. do tell marg.


    by the way, you have a very pretty table presentation. i love the advent wreath. mine is made of pine cone and nuts....it dropped and is now kaput :-(.

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  5. Oh boy this looks fabulous Marg!!

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  6. Yes, you do roll up the jelly roll in the towel sprinkled with icing sugar.
    I do this on the first Go....I flip the whole pan right onto the drizzled cold towel and leave it rolled up for about 30 minutes.
    It's taken me a bit to figure this process, but this year I realized that if I baked it a bit longer like the full 25 minutes, it seemed to come off the towel with out damaging and sticking.
    Then I unwrap it and layer it, and wrap it again without a towel...
    Try this recipe in the New Year when you have time.

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  7. This looks marvelous, and I will have to try it since we now have family with "wheat" allergies...so a good option for sure. Thank you for sharing.

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  8. this looks wonderful! I have a wheat allergy so I'm always looking for new recipes, I think this one is a keeper.

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  9. Ooh yum Marg..I know I will love this hazelnut roll but it will have to wait till after Christmas..I finally ran out of steam!

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  10. I can vouch for this one! I did a little pre-yuletide sampling...and the table looked every bit as pretty as on the picture. Thanks Marg!

    I would like to try this recipe as well...maybe in January, along with a few other Christmas recipes that never happened.

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  11. I don't want to sound dumb but what is nougat spread? Do you make it yourself or buy it? Thanking you in advance!
    Sue

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  12. Nougat spread is also referred to as Nutella. It's a hazelnut spread, but looks like chocolate. Most stores carry it by the peanut butter section. It's yummy...

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  13. Marg, these rolls looks wonderful. I will definately try these next time I need a yummy dessert. I love the hints too .. .do not try to babysit while making these. .

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  14. Ohh! I don't know how I missed these.. I don't think we need limit them to Christmas.
    They are going in my favorite recipe file!

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  15. Unbelievable! My sister made this and I got to try some...heavenly! Thanks for the excellent celiac recipes. I have two friends who are celiacs and it is so hard to get actual yummy recipes that everyone will enjoy. But your hazelnut roll passes the taste test with flying colors!!!!

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  16. Does anyone know if using almond flour would work too? I don't have hazelnuts in the house but do have almond flour. Don't want to go to all this work if it might not react the same way. Does sound awfully good tho and I will be trying this one out for sure.(Love your G-free recipes!!)

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  17. I have my "almost" dil's bridal shower coming up this week - she's celiac so I am going to try this one. I've never done a cake roll although my mom used to make jelly roll all the time. I'm a little nervous of rolling it but I'll give it a try with the tea towel tips!!

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  18. Mine's in the freezer getting cold!! Thanks so much for a great gf recipe. I'm going to post on the shower so you'll be getting a shout-out!

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  19. What a delicious alternative to all those sweet Christmas treats !
    Will definitely be adding that to my baking itinerary. Anne

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  20. I saw the hazelnut log being created on the Global Noon News Hour today. It looks wonderful. Especially good for people on gluten free diets!

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  21. I enjoyed watching the creation of the hazelnut log on the Global Noon News Hour. Great for guests who require gluten free recipes! I'm glad to find your site.

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  22. Saw your segment on Global news. Cant wait to make this, but your recipes asks for hazelnut flour, I don't see that in the list of ingredients. Is that he hazelnuts ground up? And if not where can I find the flour? I live in Chilliwack, BC. Thankyou

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  23. Hi Lisa,
    The ingredients call for 1 1/4 cup ground up hazelnuts. Yes, you grind up the hazelnuts real fine.
    Email Peter at hazelnuts@shaw.ca or
    phone: 604-796-2550 He will be able to assist you. Try Hofstede's.
    Hopefully something will work for you.

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  24. Super Recipe.. My Mom used to make the lemon jelly roll and also the chocolate! your Demo brought memories of my Mom flipping the jelly roll on the clean tea towel dusted with icing sugar!
    I will be making this

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  25. Every other year I host a Christmas Drop-in for our congregation and love new recipes. This was a real hit (and my gluten free friend was happy too). But what do you mean by a stabilizer you put in the whipped cream?

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  26. Stabilizer keeps the whipping cream from separating. It keeps it's shape for a longer period of time.
    I use Dr.Oetker's 'Whip It'
    They are tiny small packets that can be found in most grocery stores.

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  27. Made this on the weekend ... YUM-MY! Even though it was a brand new fresh jar of Nutella, I found it difficult to spread it on the soft cake without wrecking it. Gently heating the Nutella for a couple of minutes on the stove made a world of difference. I also didn't freeze the roll - I refrigerated it overnight and served it the next after lunch. Divine. A huge success.

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  28. Hi! My sister-in-law made this. She rolled it up in the towel and cooled it. When she unrolled it, it just broke apart all over. The cake would not roll up nicely at all. What did she do wrong?

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    Replies
    1. I have no idea why the hazelnut cake would have cracked...but I'll tell you what she might want to do with the broken pieces. I rolled one up the wrong direction last year...and when I re-rolled it the right away, it also broke. I made a most delicious trifle with the broken pieces. Just cube the cake and layer in a large bowl with nutella, vanilla instant pudding and whipped cream. Garnish with sliced hazelnuts. Enjoy!

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    2. I just finished making 8 rolls for a recent family wedding. I can feel your frustration...as that also happened to me and finally I realized that I needed to spread icing sugar on the damp cool tea towel and roll it up for 30 minutes. Did you spread the towel with icing sugar? I hope you don't give up on this...as it truly is a delicious cake. In fact I am serving it once more for supper tonight.
      Please let me know if you succeed in this. Are you close enough so that I can help you?

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  29. I'm so sad that it broke apart. I just finished making 8 of them for a family wedding. The towel needs to be damp and cool....then you need to sprinkle icing sugar generously on the towel...and flip the cake on the towel and roll it up. Let it sit for 30 minutes and slowly unroll the cake...and begin to layer with spreads. Did she sprinkle icing sugar on the towel?
    I wish you success with this recipe. I know it's a lot of work and it took me a few tries...so I am hoping that you don't give up.

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  30. Hi,
    I am so sorry for your cake falling apart. I just finished making 8 rolss for a family wedding. The towel needs to be cooled and damp...and then layer it generously with icing sugar. Wrap it up and leave it sit for 30 minutes, unwrap carefully and begin to spread with your ingredients. I know this is a lot of work...and it took me a few trials...Try it again and I wish you success. I would feel so much better knowing that you succeeded.

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  31. Thank you for sharing !! I'm wondering do you peel and roast them first? Also after you freeze it - how long can it stay in the freezer and how long should we take it out on the day we want to eat - should we do defrost or on counter? Thank you in advance :) elly

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  32. I buy my hazelnuts roasted and most of the skins have fallen off. But if there are some skins, it does not matter as they grind up very nicely. I prefer to eat our hazelnut roll within three months. You don't want to keep whipping cream too long in a freezer. I take it out of the freezer and slice it immediately as it tastes almost like an ice-cream cake. I serve it as a dessert and take it out just prior to serving.
    I wish you success in this wonderful dessert.

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  33. What is whipping cream stabilizer & where would I buy it....I haven't heard of it , would it be cream of tartar? Thanks :)

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  34. Hi,
    Good question. Stabilizer is a product that keeps the whipping cream from separating and become runny. I use a product called 'Whip it' a product made by Dr. Oetker. I have bought it at our Safeway Store or you can purchase it in a European Deli.
    Once you have made a dessert using whipping cream, and it needs to sit for several hours, the last thing you want to see that when you serve it, the whipping cream has separated. Cheere

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  35. I'm wondering if this is served frozen?

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