May 1
It’s birthday time! Every year since I started this blog, I’ve posted the sweet treat that I make for my partner’s birthday (apparently I also use the exact same candle in the photos every year). He’s not into traditional birthday cake, so I always try to make something different, especially delicious and a little over the top. It needs to be special. Normally, I make something that has a nostalgic feel to it. Two years ago it was a bienenstich cake that harkened back to his days working at a German bakery and last year I made chocolate babka, which was something that we both loved growing up. This year, I decided to go with ice cream. Without a doubt, it is his favourite sweet food. Of course, since I was making it from scratch, everything was possible in terms of the flavours and add-ins. I decided to play around with chocolate and hazelnut and ended up with this triple hazelnut ice cream.
As the title of the recipe suggests, there are three hazelnut elements in this ice cream. Number one, there is the deliciously nutty, creamy hazelnut base. I’ve made nut ice creams before but this time I decided not to strain the ground hazelnuts out of the base. It added extra hazelnut flavour and the texture didn’t both me at all, especially with all of the other crunchy bits in the mix. Of course, if you want a perfectly smooth base (for example, if you aren’t making the other elements), strain away! Number two, there are simply roasted hazelnuts coated in some dark chocolate. This is the most simple element to make but it adds some amazing chocolatey, roasty, crunchy pieces to the mix. Number three, I added a nutella-esque, fudgy swirl. The hazelnuts, chocolate and cocoa powder are blended together into a smooth spread that’s swirled into the ice cream. All of that to say, if you are a hazelnut lover: this one’s for you.
Overall, this is a totally birthday-worthy dessert. It’s deliciously indulgent and I love how the hazelnuts were really well roasted, which adds a perfect, deep, nutty flavour. Each bite is packed with different textures and tons of hazelnut flavour. It definitely looked, felt, and tasted special enough for this very special day. I’m happy to add it to the record books as another successful birthday creation.
I didn't bother straining the ground hazelnuts out of the ice cream base but if you're looking for a super smooth texture, feel free to do so before pouring it into the ice cream maker.
If you're roasting your own hazelnuts, preheat oven to 325F. Place hazelnuts on a foil lined baking tray and roast for 15-20 minutes until the skins start to crack and the nuts start turning a darker brown. Remove from oven, let cool, and use a clean towel to rub off the skins.
If you don't feel like making the other parts, the ice cream base is great on its own.
In a small pot, heat up milk, sugar, salt and ground hazelnuts, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they start to lighten a bit.
Slowly add the heated up milk, a couple tablespoons at a time, to the egg yolks. Whisking until combined. Continue until about half of the warmed milk has been added and then you can add the rest.
Add the mixture back into the pot, heating it up and stirring constantly until it has thickened enough. A trick is dip your wooden spoon into the ice cream base, draw a line through it with your finger, and to make sure that the line holds it's shape.
Once it's fully thickened, stir the whipping cream into the mixture and cool down in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Mix chopped hazelnuts and melted chocolate together in a bowl. Set aside.
In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts, salt, and sugar together until they make a paste.
Add the cocoa powder, dark chocolate and process until fully combined.
Add whipped cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a smooth mixture forms (I had to add 3-4 tablespoons).
Pour the ice cream base into an ice cream maker, and process according to the ice cream maker's instructions.
Once it's ready, transfer half of the ice cream mixture to a container, spread half of the chocolate covered hazelnuts and half of the chocolate hazelnuts swirl, swirling it into the ice cream. Repeat with the second half of the ingredients.
For a firmer texture, freeze the ice cream for another couple of hours.
http://mysecondbreakfast.com/triple-hazelnut-ice-cream-recipe/Triple hazelnut ice cream was last modified: April 27, 2016 by