When it comes to sweet treats, there are certain foods that simply belong together. I think of pancakes and maple syrup, or apple crumble and homemade vanilla ice cream.
For me, nuts and chocolate are one of those combinations, too. I think they go fantastically well together, which is why these nut wedges are one of my favorite kinds of sweet snacks.
It’s not only their triangle shape with the chocolate-dipped edges that makes them look really nice, but also their energizing nut topping and the thin layer of fruity jam.
Instead of baking a cake, why not try this nutty pastry? Kept in an airtight box, they can provide you with a source of tasty morsels for up to two weeks.
There is also another pastry, known as Florentine biscuits, which is similar to nut wedges. You may be familiar with these, but you may not know them by their proper name.
They are round and consist of nuts, optional candied fruit, and a chocolate-covered base. They can be compared to these nut wedges as both are made using a “roasting mixture.”
This is a caramel-like mixture consisting of sugar, butter, cream and nuts. Some of these ingredients are roasted, and then they are baked together with remainder of the recipe components.
There are many variations on nut wedges out there. Some recipes call for ground nuts only, or they don’t include a jam layer inside. You can also try making them with various additions and substitutions, such as other types of nuts like cashews or walnuts.
You can also add some candied fruit to the mix, to make a flavor sensation that’s comparable to those Florentine biscuits.
I prefer the version in the recipe below since you don’t have to mess with using cream, the dough is easy to make, and the layer of jam gives them a fruity touch.
The Recipe
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Fancy Nut Wedges
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar (divided)
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups butter (divided)
- 1 1/2 cups ground almonds
- 1 1/2 cups chopped hazelnuts*
- 1 cup smooth apricot jam
- 1 1/2 cups chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
- For the dough, mix the flour and half of the sugar in a bowl. Add eggs and half the butter and mix, then knead everything together. Form a ball and set aside in a cool place for about 30 minutes.
- For the topping, place the remaining butter and sugar in a small saucepan with a tablespoon of water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, and stir in the ground almonds and chopped hazelnuts. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 360°F/180°C. Roll the dough out into a thin rectangle the size of a baking sheet and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Spread with the apricot jam, and then distribute the nut mixture on top.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- While still warm, cut into triangles.
- When cooled completely, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Dunk the corners of each wedge into the chocolate to coat. Cool on a wire rack or in the refrigerator so the chocolate coating solidifies before serving.
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Photos by Nina-Kristin Isensee, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details.
About Nina-Kristin Isensee
Nina lives in Iserlohn, Germany and holds an MA in Art History (Medieval and Renaissance Studies). She is currently working as a freelance writer in various fields. She enjoys travel, photography, cooking, and baking. Nina tries to cook from scratch every day when she has the time and enjoys trying out new spices and ingredients, as well as surprising her family with new cake creations.
This seems to be a tasty recipe. It is my first time encountering it. I like the three layers of flavor, that makes it interesting. Dipping into the chocolate makes it really special. It looks absolutely divine in the pictures. It is amazing how a certain cut can enhance the appeal of it. But it really does. I like the versatility you speak of too. There could be cherry jam and any variety of nuts. That gives it a lot of longevity and surprise flavors.
Let me just say… YUM! These look delightful. Not only would they make an attractive presentation, but they seem like they would be delicious. I will so have to make these for a get-together sometime. I love party food and small “finger food” style desserts. This is so perfect.
I’m sold on this as a healthy snack. Basically the chocolate being dark makes it healthy and so do the nuts. Great idea for someone who likes to snack and has a sweet tooth. I’m not sure about the jam part. Perhaps I’ll use more chocolate to cover mine instead of jam!
Nuts and chocolate certainly do go perfectly with each other! These wedges look really easy to make. They would make a really nice change from cakes and cookies so I’ll be sure to give these a try in the near future.
I’m most impressed by the cut that ‘wedges’ them. That’s the exact point of things that are fancy: Make simple things fancy with a touch of flair. This might be a nice accompaniment for a chocolate fountain situation as well. Stay classy, Foodal.
Good looking out @ Joan… a chocolate fountain situation… i’d definitely ‘dig’ that…now if only i can remember where i saw a chocolate fountain stand being sold at…thanks Joan for giving me that assignment…i’ll be busy at it 🙂
The chocolate fountain is indeed a great idea, thanks. I haven’t thought about it but incombinatinon with chocolate covered fruits, the nut wedges would be a perfect companion I think.
Drooling is what is happening right now…oh, the sweet torment, this reminds me of days when i was a little kid and we’d be spoilt rotten with sweet things and always reminded to brush our teeth after all that indulging…same case here…only in this case, a swig of Apple Cider Vinegar would do the trick {restrict adding pounds of fat {butter was mentioned as an ingredient} then brush teeth and have a guilt-free sleep and no need for calorie counting 😉
This recipe is something I am definitely going to try very soon. It looks so easy to make and it looks delicious too! I also love that you can store these for up to two weeks and still be able to eat them. There is nothing worse than baking something like a cake and having to eat it within the next few days because it goes bad so fast. I always feel so guilty for eating so much sweets in such little time because I don’t want it go to waste. Thanks for the great recipe!
That’s a really good point, Katherine. I don’t like to waste food, but I certainly don’t need to eat too many sweets either! When they’re here, they seem to call out to me, lol. I have a shameless sweet tooth.
Being able to store these for a while gives me the ability to lose the guilt over wasting something, so that would definitely work. I could make some and tuck them away.
This is right up my alley and it needs to get in my belly ASAP. Dark chocolate is pretty much my favorite thing, especially with nuts, and the whole recipe appears fancy yet relatively effortless. I personally love dark chocolate and raspberry together, so I think I might try raspberry jam out. Can’t wait to try this recipe out, in any case!
This recipe looks totally yummy, and it just so happens that I have all of the ingredients to hand at home!! I love anything with nuts and, together with chocolate (the darker the better) I am in heaven. What’s really great about this recipe is that these will keep for so long – with just my husband and I at home, we don’t always get through my bakes, so I’m always on the lookout for things I can freeze or things that will last a week or more.
Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
The worst part of these nut wedges is that they only have chocolate on the edges, haha! On a more serious note, how does prune jam sound instead of apricot? Do you think it will fit with the taste of the dark chocolate?
Sure, I think prune jam will be just fine too. From my point of view, almost every kind will work with chocolate 😉 You could also think about spreading the dough half with two differnt jams to try which one tastes best. No matter what, enjoy!
These sound really delicious. I like the idea of putting the jam, also, since that’s a favorite of mine. I think if I make them, I might also consider adding sesame seeds, because they seem as if they’d go well with the other ingredients, and I’m always looking for ways to pack in some more goodies.
This treat is not your average dessert and that is what I like about it. Thanks again @Joan for mentioning that it would be perfect for a chocolate fountain and it looks like everyone that posted seem to agree as well. What would be the best way to grind or chop the nuts? Because I am actually thinking about using a magic bullet to get that perfect grind but I have not yet to try it but I am looking forward to getting one soon. What do you think would be the perfect equipment to use?
I think a magic bullet would be fine for grounding the nuts. It is just important that both types of nuts have different consistencies so you should use different settings when you grind them with a machine.
For this recipe, I often buy ready-ground almonds from the supermarket because they are a common product here in Germany. For the chopped nuts, you can also put whole nuts into a freezer bag, seal it well and then beat them with a frying pan e.g.
If you like it less chunky, an electric grinder would be better I think. It depends on your personal preference.
I hope I could help you a bit 🙂
These look great! I’m curious, though, can the jam be replaced with something a little creamier? Maybe cream cheese or custard? I am just going to ha e to play around with I’t and see what happens. Thank you!
Well, I’m not sure if cream cheese can handle the heat in the oven and won’t just melt away. I can imagine that custard may be an alternative but as I haven’t tried it, I can’t tell you from experience. But if you like experimenting, I’m sure you will find something. You could also start with half of the recipe and try it out first.
Did someone say Dark Chocolate:) I am obsessed with the stuff really I am. These little wedges wouldn’t stand a chance at my house. This reminds me of English toffee in which I could eat my weight.
These look SO GOOD! And also easy, which is always a huge bonus for me! 😀 And, unlike some recipes that have a bunch of weird ingredients, the only things I’m missing for this one are the nuts and the chocolate, so that’ll be easy to pick up the next time I’m out. Just the other day I was thinking about how I needed to find some healthy snacks to munch on between meals, and I think I found my answer. These look like the perfect blend of sweetness and healthiness! 😀
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! I’m sure you’ll love them. I just can’t resist the combination of choc and nuts, it is gorgeous. Have fun making these cute wedges and enjoy them as a snack, dessert, or whenever you like 🙂
This is just PURE LOVE!!! I can actually imagine myself just consuming them as a stand alone meal. With the nuts, I’ll have good source of proteins. I think I can sustain a day by just munching on these, and I won’t even start on the chocolate! These really are super delectable!
Thanks! Oh yes, I could probably live on those a couple of days too 😉 The combination of nuts and the dark chocolate is so delicious. With that hint of fruit between, they are definitely some of my favorite baked goodies. Plus, they simply look fancy!
These look great! They would make an excellent holiday dessert, or a box of them would make a nice gift. I’d like to try these with raspberry jam, but I’m a bit worried about the seeds and the nuts together. Maybe some apple butter would be a nice touch when I try to cook these. Has anyone ever tried using that? If so, let me know how it turned out before I accidentally ruin it! 😉
Why is the flour marked as divided in the list of ingredients and then it says to use the flour in the first instruction. I do not see where the other half of the flour is used.
Thanks for catching this error, Heidi! You are correct- the sugar and butter are divided, but the flour is all added at once in the first step. The recipe has been updated.