At work, our clients bring us a ton of chocolate. Bars, boxes, liqueur-filled, and truffles just to name a few. Some with only Russian words on the package, and other more familiar English ones. Well, many of these treats go uneaten by me, and pretty much sit around the kitchen table for a while. But when we get a box of Ferrero Rochers, they don’t last more than a day. I have to run to the kitchen to get some before they’re eaten by my coworkers. Let me tell you, they have good taste.
The combination of chocolate and hazelnut is perfect! Our friend Danielle introduced us to these amazing candies many years ago, and I haven’t been able to get over them since…so when I bought a few too many hazelnuts at the store a while back, I just knew that one day, I’d have to make Rocher inspired ice cream.
Well, just my luck! A few weeks ago, I got an email from Frangelico, telling me that their liqueur is now OU certified, and would I like a bottle to test out the product? Frangelico. That’s hazelnut liqueur. That’s the perfect ingredient to make this ice cream richer, creamier, and more hazelnutty than I even imagined. And it would be arriving to my door the very next day! There was no time to waste. I bought some heavy cream and was ready to make some ice cream.
Now, Stephanie and I are not ice cream newbies. In fact, we’re quite experienced in making frozen desserts. Many of these recipes were have been shared with you, but we’ve tested many many more. This is one of my favorites. And I’m not just saying that. It’s chocolatey and creamy, with a nice hint of hazelnut and a delicious crunch. You definitely can’t go wrong.
I steeped the hazelnuts in the milk and let it warm up slowly, to infuse the flavor within the milk. You can also make it more hazelnutty if you really grind the nuts. I just smashed them coarsely.
So, if you like rochers, or like Frangelico, or just like hazelnuts and chocolate ice cream, make this dessert! You won’t be sorry.
Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream
Makes a little more than a quart
Ingredients:
- 6 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon brewed coffee
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup hazelnuts, smashed or chopped (the smaller the pieces are, the more hazelnut flavor will be infused into the milk)
- 4 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 shot Frangelico, hazelnut liqueur
- 1 cup chopped hazelnuts
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler until shiny.
2. Combine melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and coffee in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. In a saucepan, heat up the milk, heavy cream, and hazelnuts. Turn the heat on medium low and let steep for ten minutes. Then, turn the heat up to medium until the milk in warm and starting to bubble on the edges.
4. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the eggs get lighter in color.
5. When the milk mixture is hot but not boiling, slowly add it to the egg mixture, a spoonful at a time, to bring up the temperature. Add the milk and eggs back into the saucepan and heat over medium heat, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back on a spoon.
6. Place a mesh sieve over the chocolate bowl and pour the milk mixture over, into the chocolate. Mix well to make sure all the chocolate that’s stuck to the bottom of the bowl is incorporated.
7. Let cool either in an ice bath or on the counter. Then, transfer to the fridge overnight.
8. Add the frangelico.
9. Freeze in your ice cream maker for about 20 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of mixing, add the chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips.
10. Place ice cream in freezer to harden further before serving.
