I know some people say ice cream is only for summer, I am not one of those people. I will take it any time, any place. In fact, I churned this up on a -30ºC day when I didn’t dare step outside for fear of freezing my toes off. Of course the thought of stirring it into a cup of coffee helped me press on through the chills.
Let me tell you, this is absolutely delicious stirred into a cup of joe. It turns it into a cool and creamy Hazelnut Mocha. Of if you want it warm, simply pop it in the microwave or warm it on the stove top. It is divine.
This ice cream is composed of so many yummy things. Milk chocolate. Hazelnuts. The usual suspects like cream and sugar. But it’s not a chunky ice cream like you might expect. The hazelnuts are finely chopped and then steeped in the cream to infuse it with all their hazelnut-y flavour, then they’re strained out, so the end result is smooth and creamy.
For a dairy-free version simply substitute the cream and milk with coconut milk, although be forewarned it will impart a coconut-y flavour (shocker!).
Make this now and enjoy it as a delectable sundae with chocolate sauce and roasted hazelnuts, stir it into coffee for a comforting splurge of a drink, or enjoy it straight up, in a cone or a bowl. Any way you scoop it, it is delish and not to be missed!
Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Ice Cream
To make dairy-free, substitute 3 cups (2 cans) coconut milk for the milk and cream.
- 1.5 cups hazelnuts
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups heavy creamy
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 4 oz (115g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Spread hazelnuts evenly on a baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF oven for 10 minutes, or until they release a nutty aroma. Allow to cool completely. Once cool, use a clean kitchen towel to rub off as much of the papery skin as possible. Pour the hazelnuts into a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and process until finely chopped.
Put milk, 1 cup cream, sugar, and salt into a medium saucepan. Heat through just until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in hazelnuts. Cover and let steep for 1 hour.
Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a small saucepan, heat until it just begins to boil. Put chocolate into a large bowl and pour the hot cream over top. Stir until chocolate is melted. Set aside.
Line a fine mesh sieve with cheesecloth and set it over a medium-sized bowl. Pour hazelnut mixture over the cheesecloth. Once all of the milk has been poured though, gather the cheesecloth, twisting the top, and squeeze the hazelnuts to release all of their flavour. Discard the hazelnuts. Pour the hazelnut infused milk back into the saucepan and heat until steaming.
In a medium-sized bowl (I re-use the one that the hazelnut milk was strained into) whisk together egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm hazelnut infused milk into the eggs, whisking constantly, until smooth. Pour mixture back into the saucepan. Set over medium heat, cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of the spatula (you should be able to draw a visible line with your finger). Remove from heat.
Set a fine mesh sieve over the chocolate-cream mixture and pour the hazelnut milk over, to ensure a smooth end result. Stir to combine. Allow to cool, stirring often. Once cooled, stir in the vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.
Makes approximately: 1 quart
Adapted from The Perfect Scoop.
