Hazelnut Truffle Ice Cream
Notes: Put a 2- to 3-quart metal bowl in the freezer before starting to cook. With the liqueur, the mixture has to get colder than usual to freeze.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
In a 350° oven, bake 1 cup hazelnuts in an 8- or 9-inch square pan until nuts are golden beneath skins, about 12 minutes. Pour nuts onto a towel and rub to remove loose skins. Discard skins and let nuts cool. Coarsely chop 1/2 cup nuts.
Step 2
2
Prepare Deep, Dark Chocolate Sauce. Pour sauce into a blender and add whole hazelnuts, Frangelico, and corn syrup. Whirl until chocolate truffle sauce is very smoothly puréed.
Step 3
3
Return chocolate truffle sauce to pan and nest pan in ice water. Stir often until sauce is cold, about 20 minutes. Scrape into chilled bowl (see notes) and freeze while making ice cream.
Step 4
4
In a 2- to 3-quart pan, combine sugar and half-and-half. Stir over high heat until bubbles form at pan edge (scalding, about 180°), 5 to 8 minutes.
Step 5
5
In a small bowl, whisk eggs to blend. Then whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into eggs. Return egg mixture to pan and stir over medium-low heat with a flexible spatula-scraper, scraping pan bottom and sides thoroughly for even cooking, until custard thickly coats a metal spoon (about 190°), 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 6
6
Add vanilla to custard.
Step 7
7
At once, nest pan in ice water and stir custard often until mixture is cold, 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 8
8
Pour cold custard through a fine strainer into a bowl, then pour mixture into an ice cream maker (1-qt. or larger capacity), or strain directly into the maker; discard residue. Add reserved chopped nuts to cold custard in ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions until mixture is firm enough to scoop, dasher is hard to turn, or machine stops.
Step 9
9
When ice cream is frozen, remove bowl with truffle sauce from freezer. Stir sauce briefly to soften, then quickly scoop ice cream into bowl. With a flexible spatula-scraper, swirl chocolate through ice cream, using 4 or 5 strokes.
Step 10
10
Return to freezer for at least 3 hours to firm. Package airtight if storing longer (see below).
Step 11
11
Firming and Storing Ice Cream:
Step 12
12
To get frozen desserts hard enough to scoop onto a cone, or to store them, transfer when frozen to an airtight container and put in the freezer at least 3 hours or up to 1 week.
Step 13
13
If freezing with ice and salt, leave the frozen dessert in ice and salt up to 3 hours.
Step 14
14
For best flavor and texture, serve frozen desserts within a week. On longer standing, icy crystals develop.
Step 15
15
Nutritional analysis per 1/2 cup.
Ingredients
1 cup hazelnuts
6 tablespoons Frangelico or other hazelnut-flavor liqueur
2 tablespoons corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups half-and-half (light cream)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Directions
Step 1
1
In a 350° oven, bake 1 cup hazelnuts in an 8- or 9-inch square pan until nuts are golden beneath skins, about 12 minutes. Pour nuts onto a towel and rub to remove loose skins. Discard skins and let nuts cool. Coarsely chop 1/2 cup nuts.
Step 2
2
Prepare Deep, Dark Chocolate Sauce. Pour sauce into a blender and add whole hazelnuts, Frangelico, and corn syrup. Whirl until chocolate truffle sauce is very smoothly puréed.
Step 3
3
Return chocolate truffle sauce to pan and nest pan in ice water. Stir often until sauce is cold, about 20 minutes. Scrape into chilled bowl (see notes) and freeze while making ice cream.
Step 4
4
In a 2- to 3-quart pan, combine sugar and half-and-half. Stir over high heat until bubbles form at pan edge (scalding, about 180°), 5 to 8 minutes.
Step 5
5
In a small bowl, whisk eggs to blend. Then whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into eggs. Return egg mixture to pan and stir over medium-low heat with a flexible spatula-scraper, scraping pan bottom and sides thoroughly for even cooking, until custard thickly coats a metal spoon (about 190°), 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 6
6
Add vanilla to custard.
Step 7
7
At once, nest pan in ice water and stir custard often until mixture is cold, 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 8
8
Pour cold custard through a fine strainer into a bowl, then pour mixture into an ice cream maker (1-qt. or larger capacity), or strain directly into the maker; discard residue. Add reserved chopped nuts to cold custard in ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions until mixture is firm enough to scoop, dasher is hard to turn, or machine stops.
Step 9
9
When ice cream is frozen, remove bowl with truffle sauce from freezer. Stir sauce briefly to soften, then quickly scoop ice cream into bowl. With a flexible spatula-scraper, swirl chocolate through ice cream, using 4 or 5 strokes.
Step 10
10
Return to freezer for at least 3 hours to firm. Package airtight if storing longer (see below).
Step 11
11
Firming and Storing Ice Cream:
Step 12
12
To get frozen desserts hard enough to scoop onto a cone, or to store them, transfer when frozen to an airtight container and put in the freezer at least 3 hours or up to 1 week.
Step 13
13
If freezing with ice and salt, leave the frozen dessert in ice and salt up to 3 hours.
Step 14
14
For best flavor and texture, serve frozen desserts within a week. On longer standing, icy crystals develop.
Step 15
15
Nutritional analysis per 1/2 cup.
Search All of Sunset's Recipes
The Latest
Take a Tour of the Dreamiest California Take on a French Kitchen Garden
