Melissa Clarks Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream Recipes

GINEVRA IVERSON'S CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees and spread hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Let cool for about 10 minutes (or until cool enough to handle but still warm) and rub the nuts in a dish towel to remove most of the skins (some will cling and that's O.K.).
• In a medium bowl, melt together gianduja paste and butter, either over a pot with 1 inch of simmering water or in a microwave. Keep mixture warm.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the half-and-half, sugar, salt and vanilla bean to a simmer until the sugar melts, taking care not to boil. Stir occasionally.
• Place egg yolks in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in a 1/4 cup of the hot half-and-half mixture, whisking constantly and carefully so as not to scramble the yolks. Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the remaining half-and-half, whisking constantly. Heat the custard through, but do not simmer. If you see curdled clumps in your custard, pass through a fine strainer before continuing.
• While whisking constantly, slowly pour the warm custard into the warm melted chocolate (you want the two mixtures to be the same temperature). Once the chocolate custard is thoroughly combined and smooth, whisk in heavy cream. Cover custard and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
• Pour chocolate hazelnut custard into an ice cream machine and chill according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Fold whole hazelnuts into ice cream, excluding any powder from the nuts (it just feels gritty on the tongue). Serve at once or freeze.
• To serve, drizzle with melted bittersweet chocolate.

ROASTED HAZELNUT VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Spread hazelnuts on a rimmed baking pan and roast, stirring once or twice, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack.
• Split vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape seeds into a saucepan. Add vanilla pod, milk, cream, 1/4 cup sugar and the salt. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rub still-warm hazelnuts in a clean dish towel to remove skins. Take saucepan off heat and allow cream to cool while you prepare hazelnut paste.
• In a food processor, place 1/2 cup hazelnuts, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the Cognac or rum and purée until a paste forms, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape paste into saucepan holding milk mixture and return it to medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally until paste dissolves, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard vanilla pod and stir in vanilla extract. Transfer to a bowl and place in refrigerator or set into an ice bath to chill. Coarsely chop remaining hazelnuts.
• When mixture is cold, pour it into bowl of an ice cream machine along with 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts and churn according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer to a container and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving, or in refrigerator for 15 to 30. Sprinkle with remaining hazelnuts.

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring cream and cocoa powder to a simmer. Put chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl. Pour hot cocoa cream over chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.
• In a small pot, simmer milk, sugar and salt until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream.
• Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from heat and stir in chocolate mixture, crème fraîche or sour cream and vanilla extract.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer until needed.

DAVID TANIS'S CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Put hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast until quite dark, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Use a clean kitchen towel to rub off skins; discard skins. Crush nuts coarsely with a rolling pin or meat mallet and set aside.
• In a saucepan, heat half-and-half and sugar over medium flame, whisking to dissolve sugar. Do not let mixture boil. Whisk in cocoa powder until completely incorporated, then add chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
• Put egg yolks, salt and tapioca starch in a small bowl and whisk together. Slowly add 1 cup of hot chocolate mixture to egg yolk mixture, whisking well to keep yolks from curdling. Pour combined mixture back into saucepan and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly and coats back of spoon. Strain and let cool completely, then chill in an ice bath. (This chocolate custard may be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated.)
• Churn the custard in an ice cream maker for 20 to 25 minutes until semi-firm. Stir in hazelnuts and transfer ice cream to a quart-size container. Place in freezer for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.

MELISSA CLARK'S CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a small pot, simmer heavy cream, milk, sugar and salt until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream.
• Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Whisk chocolate hazelnut spread and vanilla extract into base. Cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer until needed.