Ritz Hazelnut Gelato Sandwich Recipes

HAZELNUT GELATO

Steps:

• Toast hazelnuts and rub off any skins in a kitchen towel, then cool completely. Pulse with 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a 3-quart heavy saucepan and add milk and heavy cream. Bring just to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and let steep, covered, 1 hour.
• Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and discarding solids.
• Beat together egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick and pale, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in milk mixture and transfer to cleaned saucepan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until an instant-read thermometer registers 175°F (do not let boil). Immediately pour custard through cleaned sieve into a metal bowl, then set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and cool, stirring occasionally. Chill custard, covered, until cold. Freeze in an ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

HAZELNUT GELATO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on a baking sheet, and toast in oven 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely, remove skins, and coarsely grind.
• Combine milk and ground hazelnuts in a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and remove pan from heat. Let steep 2 hours. Pass through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, pressing hard on solids. Reserve strained milk, and discard solids.
• Combine egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream at medium-high speed until very thick and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes. Return milk to a simmer.
• Add half of the warm milk to egg-yolk mixture, and whisk until blended. Return new mixture to saucepan with remaining milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
• Have ready an ice-water bath. Remove saucepan from heat, and immediately stir in cream and Frangelico. Pass mixture through a sieve set over a medium bowl. Place bowl in ice-water bath, and chill.
• Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

HAZELNUT GELATO

Steps:

• Combine milk, cream, and 1/3 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Beat egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar together in a bowl until mixture is light yellow, about 4 minutes. Stir 1/2 cup milk mixture into egg mixture until smooth; pour into the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan, stirring continuously. Cook, stirring continuously, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 8 to 10 minutes; remove from heat.
• Stir chocolate hazelnut spread, espresso powder, and vanilla extract into milk mixture until well combined; pour through a mesh strainer into a bowl. Refrigerate mixture until cold, about 3 hours.
• Pour milk mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

BISCOTTI-GELATO SANDWICHES AND ESPRESSO

Steps:

• To make the sandwiches, take the ice cream out of the freezer to soften. Cover 1 side of each piece of biscotti with hazelnut spread. Place the biscotti in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up. Take out of the freezer and quickly spread 1/4 cup of ice cream on the hazelnut side of 4 of the biscotti and top with another biscotti, spread side against the ice cream. Place the biscotti ice cream sandwiches back in the freezer for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, brew 4 shots of espresso. Pour the espresso and serve with the biscotti-gelato sandwiches alongside.