Gianduja Gelato Recipes

GIANDUIA GELATO

Steps:

• Pulse hazelnuts with sugar and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a heavy medium saucepan with milk and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 20 minutes.
• Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then return to cleaned saucepan.
• Put 1/4 cup milk mixture in a small bowl and whisk in cornstarch. Return to saucepan, then boil over medium heat 2 minutes, whisking often (mixture will be thick). Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until melted and incorporated. Chill, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours.
• Freeze mixture in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.

GIANDUJA GELATO (MILK CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT GELATO)

Steps:

• For the Milk Chocolate Gelato Base: Measure out the milk, then scoop out 2 tbsp (30 ml) and place in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Pour the remaining milk in a medium saucepan, then add the heavy cream, milk chocolate, and sugar. Set over medium heat and whisk constantly until the milk chocolate and sugar are fully melted and incorporated. Remove from the heat temporarily.
• Whisk the cornstarch into the reserved milk. Pour into the saucepan and whisk to combine. Return the mixture over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, for 5 minutes. (The mixture will thicken slightly.) Whisk in the hazelnut liqueur, if using.
• Strain the milk chocolate gelato base into an airtight container. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.The milk chocolate gelato base must be very cold before churning: this will produce the smoothest, silkiest texture.
• For the Hazelnut Butter: Using a stick blender or a mini food processor, grind the hazelnuts to a smooth butter consistency. Depending of the appliance you're using, this can take between 3 to 5 minutes. You don't need to add any liquid to facilitate the process, just some patience. Scrape down the container from time to time and keep grinding, you'll get there.
• Measure out the hazelnut butter to get ½ cup (125 ml). Store any remaining almond butter for tomorrow's morning toast.
• Whisk the hazelnut butter into the cool milk chocolate gelato base. Use a stand blender, a stick blender, or a food processor to fully combine and blend to a super smooth consistency. Strain the mixture for the smoothest texture.
• Pour the gianduja gelato custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Stop the machine when the gelato is thick and icy but still easily spoonable.
• STORAGE: Transfer the gelato to an airtight container and freeze until firm, about two hours.Gianduja gelato is at its creamiest and best if enjoyed within 2 weeks. Past that, some ice crystals will inevitably start forming (especially if the gelato is kept in the freezer section of a regular fridge, as opposed to a chest freezer) and the texture won't be quite as smooth. The gelato will still be perfectly edible for up to 2 months, but my advice is: enjoy it as quickly as possible after churning.
• SERVING: Always take Gianduja gelato out to room temperature 20 minutes before serving to make it easier to scoop. This will also allow you to enjoy the treat at its ideal temperature and texture.
• MAKE IT DAIRY FREE: Substitute lactose-free milk or oat milk for the regular milk, and lactose-free heavy cream or soy cream for the regular heavy cream.
• MAKE IT VEGAN: Get my recipe and instructions for making vegan gelato.
• NOTE: HOW TO ROAST AND PEEL HAZELNUTSTo roast and peel hazelnuts, spread them over a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (170°C) for 15 minutes, giving the tray a good shake every five minutes. When the skin of the hazelnuts is shiny and crackled, remove from the oven and transfer to a clean dish towel. Close the towel up into a bundle and rub the hazelnuts against one another vigorously to remove the skin. Open the towel and pick up the peeled hazelnuts. Some bits of skin will remain and that's ok, simply make sure to discard all the loose papery bits. Keep the roasted hazelnuts in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

GIANDUJA GELATO

Steps:

• Rub the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel to remove as much of the papery skins as possible, then finely chop them in a food processor or blender.
• Warm the milk with 1 cup (250 ml) of the cream, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Once warm, remove from the heat and add the chopped hazelnuts. Cover and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Put the milk chocolate pieces in a large bowl. Heat the remaining 1 cup (250 ml) cream in a medium saucepan until it just begins to boil. Pour it over the milk chocolate pieces and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set a mesh strainer over the top.
• Pour the hazelnut-infused milk through a strainer into a medium saucepan, squeezing the nuts firmly with your hands to extract as much of the flavorful liquid as possible. Discard the hazelnuts.
• Rewarm the hazelnut-infused mixture. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm hazelnut mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
• Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the milk chocolate mixture. Add the vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath.
• Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Perfect Pairing
• Make Gianduja-Stracciatella Gelato (pictured) by adding Stracciatella (page 210) to the gelato. Scoop it into Ice Cream Cones (page 228) to serve.

GIANDUJA

Steps:

• Line an 8-in. square dish with foil. Place hazelnuts and oil in a food processor; cover and process until mixture forms a paste. , In a large saucepan, melt bittersweet chocolate. Stir in 2-1/4 cups hazelnut mixture. Pour half of mixture into prepared dish. Refrigerate until firm., Melt candy bars; stir in remaining hazelnut mixture. Pour over bittersweet layer. Refrigerate until firm., Reheat remaining bittersweet mixture if necessary; pour over candy bar layer. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into 1-in. squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT GELATO WITH FRANGELICO

Steps:

• Combine milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar in a 2-quart microwave safe bowl. Cook in the microwave on high heat for 10-12 minutes, whisking with a wire whisk every two minutes, until mixture just begins to boil; set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, use a hand held electric mixer to whisk the egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until pale yellow and thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
• Gradually pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly; then use a heatproof spatula to scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the bowl of warm milk, whisking thoroughly to combine.
• Heat mixture in microwave on high heat for about 3-6 minutes, whisking every minute or two, until mixture thickens enough to coat the wire whisk (but do not boil or the eggs mixture will curdle). Note: At this stage you can strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer, but I never do.
• Remove from microwave and stir in the vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, Frangelico and the hazelnut spread until it dissolves; mix thoroughly.
• Let sit at room temperature until cooled, then cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight until mixture is completely chilled. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Note: If you don't have an ice cream or gelato maker, place into freezer and stir every 30 minutes until creamy and set, about 4 hours.
• Spoon into small dessert dishes and serve the gelato topped with crushed hazelnuts and chocolate-hazelnut cream filled wafers. Enjoy!