Norwegian Hazelnut Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

5 ounces hazelnuts (filberts)
6 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 dash salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F.
Lightly grease bottom only of a 10-inch springform pan.
Reserve 8 whole hazelnuts for garnish.
With a blender or food processor, grind hazelnuts to a coarse meal (makes about 1 1/3 cups).
Reserve 1 Tablespoon ground hazelnuts for garnish.
Melt butter; set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until thick and lemon colored, about 2-3 minutes.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off.
Add flour, baking powder, and ground hazelnuts; mix well.
Continue beating, adding cooled, melted butter gradually until well blended.
(Mixture will be quite thick).
Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 15 minutes; remove sides of pan.
Run long knife under cake to loosen from pan bottom; invert onto serving plate.
Allow to cool about 30 minutes, covered with light cloth towel.
To prepare glaze, bring half-and-half and salt just to a boil; remove from heat.
Stir in chocolate chips and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until melted and smooth.
Spread glaze over top of cake, allowing some to drizzle down the sides.
Sprinkle reserved ground hazelnuts around the top edge of the cake.
Halve reserved whole hazelnuts; arrange around top edge of cake over nut garnish.
Store in a tightly closed cake container as this cake will dry out.
I have also frozen it successfully.