Red Wine Sauce

4 oz  unsalted butter, divided
3 fat shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 plum tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped (substitute 1/2 tsp tomato paste)
2 cups red wine such as pinot noir or merlot
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar and 1/2 tbsp. Hoisen sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

• Put half the butter into sauce pan and heat until foamy.  
• Add the shallots and garlic and sauce briefly, just until glossy and aromatic.   
• Stir in the tomato and saute 2 minutes more. 
• Stir in the wine and raise the heat slightly, bring to a boil, and simmer briefly  until reduced to about 1/2 cup, ten to fifteen minutes.  
• Stir in the vinegar and Hoisen sauce.  
• Pour the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a clean saucepan and, over low heat whisk in the remaining butter a little bit at a time, whisking until all of the butter is incorporated into the sauce after each addition.  
• Season to taste with a little salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.

Originally discovered over at the Mrs. Butterfingers blog.

Orange Dijon Dressing

75 ml vegetable oil
50 ml white wine vinegar
1 T dijon mustard
6 T OJ concentrate (thawed)
S&P to taste

Hazelnut Torte Filling

2 T soft butter
1 C icing sugar
2 T hot strong coffee
1 t. cocoa
1/2 t vanilla

• Make filling
• Spread between layers of baked Hazelnut Torte cakes.
• Coat outside of cake with whipped cream.

Hazelnut Torte

4 eggs
3/4 C sugar
2 T flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1 C hazelnuts

• In blender, whirl eggs and white sugar until thoroughly mixed.
• Add flour, baking powder and hazelnuts.
• Blend at high speed.
• Pour into 2 8-inch greased layer pans
• Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes
• Finish with Hazelnut Torte Filling.

Whipped Cocoa Cream Frosting

2 C heavy cream
2/3 C icing sugar (gluten free)
1/2 C cocoa powder
1 t vanilla

• Whip heavy cream, icing sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Chill bowl for best results.
• Perfect with Annie's Flourless Filbert Cake

Annie's Flourless Filbert Cake

2 1/2 C ground filberts (hazelnuts)
1 C sugar
2 t baking powder
6 eggs

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Butter and flour (using gluten free flour) an 8-inch round cake pan.
• Mix filberts, sugar, and baking powder.
• Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition.
• Pour into prepared pan and bake until tester inserted into centre comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
• Let cake cool, then cut into two even layers.
• Place one layer on cake plate. Spread with frosting. Place second layer on top. Spread top and sides of cake with frosting.