I don’t smoke, but I will not say ‘NO’ to a piece of Swedish Chocolate Cigar with coffee after every meal; or for a snack! (I know, sorry, that was a pathetic attempt 🙂 ).
These treats are not just sold in coffee shops or bakeries in Sweden, you will often find them in candy stores as well (we call them ‘godis’ in Swedish). I guess because, even if it is certainly a biscuit, it is still dipped in melted chocolate – hence, qualifying as a chocolate treat. Milk chocolate is normally used for dipping these cigars. Personally though, I prefer to use dark chocolate, to balance the sweetness of the biscuit.
I guess if I will be asked to compare it with other biscuits, I would say that this is the Swedes’ version of ‘biscotti’. I know, I know, technically, chocolate cigars are not cooked twice, but it just reminds me so much of ‘biscotti’ – a softer version. 🙂
In this recipe, I also use a bit less sugar than usual, so if you prefer your biscuits to be sweet, add a bit more. Hazelnut flour is mainly used for the biscuit, and mixed with all-purpose flour. I have yet to try the recipe with almond flour; I reckon it should work, but the flavor and texture might drastically change. Hazelnut feels and tastes nuttier to me than almond – or is it just me?
One thing to highlight when you make this recipe: once you have dipped the biscuits in the melted chocolate and you are about to put them in the refrigerator to chill, make sure that you place the cigars on a rack or on top of a waxed paper. I placed them on a plate the first time I made them, and I had to wait for the chocolate (and the plate) to be on room temperature, before I managed to get the cigars out for serving. The ones that I have tried to remove (by force), ended up in two pieces. (Yep, brilliant idea, eh? 😉 )
- 80 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 40 grams sugar
- 60 grams hazelnut flour
- 90 grams all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp milk
- 50 grams dark chocolate
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Preheat oven to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F).
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Combine butter and sugar. Mix thoroughly. Add hazelnut flour, all-purpose flour and milk. Combine and mix until the mixture has turned into a grainy paste.
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Get a small portion of the mixture and form it into a cigar that is 2-inch long and slightly bigger than a finger in width. Place each cigar in a pan with a baking sheet. Leave a bit of space between each cigar. This recipe yields 14 pieces of cigars.
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Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
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Set aside to cool.
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Melt the chocolate (microwaving or using a double-boiler will be fine).
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Dip each cigar in the melted chocolate and place in a rack. Chill cigars in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before serving.
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