Hazelnut Gâteau Breton (Brittany France)

Method

1. I

   Preheat your oven to 325 degrees, and butter a 9-inch springform pan.

2. II

   Mix the sugar with the vanilla extract to make vanilla sugar. Make sure to break apart any lumps that form.

3. III

   Now mix 2 tbsp of the vanilla sugar with the hazelnuts. Add them to a food processor or grinder and blend until the nuts form a fine powder.

4. IV

   Mix the 6 egg yolks with the rest of the vanilla sugar and whisk for 2 minutes. Then add the hazelnut mixture, then gradually add the melted butter. Keep whisking.

5. V

   Now sift the flour over the batter and stir gently until just blended. Don't overmix; this is a thick batter and you don't want it to turn out rock hard.

6. VI

   Put the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Brush the egg glaze over the top, then draw some cross hatches with a fork.

7. VII

   Bake at 325 for about an hour, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes, then loosen the springform pan and allow to cool completely. Serve with whole strawberries.