Hazelnut Gelato

The deliciously nutty flavor of hazelnut meets a hint of chocolate in this rich creamy gelato. I was debating whether to add chocolate chunks or drizzle melted chocolate into the base while churning but decided that would take away from the hazelnut flavor. The most challenging part of this project was trying to get all the papery skins off of the hazelnuts.

Hazelnut Gelato

Inspired by The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

1 1/2  cup (185 g) hazelnuts

1 cup (250 ml) whole milk

2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream

3/4 cups (150 g) sugar

1/4 tsp. coarse salt

4 oz. (115 g) milk chocolate, finely chopped

5 large egg yolks

1/8 tsp. vanilla

1. Toast hazelnuts on a sheet pan in a 350 degrees F oven for 10 -12 minutes. Stir two or three times to toast evenly. Let cool. Rub the papery skins off. If they are stubborn, pare with a small knife. Place in food processor and finely chop.

2. Heat milk with 1 cup of the cream, sugar and salt in saucepan. Remove from heat and add chopped hazelnuts. Cover and steep at room temperature for 1 hour. 

3. Place milk chocolate in large bowl. Heat 1 cup heavy cream in saucepan just until boiling. Pour over milk chocolate. Stir until smooth. Place a strainer on top of bowl.

4. Place a strainer over medium saucepan. Empty hazelnut milk into strainer. Discard hazelnuts. Rewarm the milk over medium heat.

5. Prepare an ice bath.

6. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and pour hazelnut milk into eggs a little at a time to temper them. Pour the custard back into the saucepan. Heat and stir with a rubber spatula until mixture thickens. Pour custard through strainer and into melted chocolate. Stir in vanilla. Cool in ice bath. Chill in fridge overnight. Churn in ice cream maker. Freeze.