Hazelnut gelato

After returning from a trip to Slovenia and Croatia, I have been wondering why it is so difficult to get good hazelnut gelato in North America. Or at least so it seems. And when you do find it, detecting hazelnut flavor requires some imagination. Not so back in Slovenia. There, one can even purchase prepared hazelnut filling for potica, which our friend transformed into a delicious ice cream. After trying that ice cream, the quest was on. Am I able to recreate the same intense hazelnut flavor with ingredients available to me in SF Bay Area?

Proper atmosphere for enjoying the gelato

It turned out I already had a collection of recipes for gelato, so it was the matter of choosing one as a starting point. I decided to go with a recipe from Martha Stewart's haydays, probbaly beause it seemed most hazelnut intense. However, each and every recipe requested that one grinds hazelnuts, brings them to a boil in milk, let them steep for 2 hours, and then to strain out the solids. If all I needed was some hazelnut flavor, I would have simply used hazelnut essence that one can buy at Whole Foods. I decided to put my Vitamix to work, just like when I make hot chocolate. And I could still add some hazelnut essence!

Start by blending 1/2 lb roasted hazelnuts in 3 cups of whole milk. This time I used roasted Oregin hazelnuts from Trader Joe's. It would have been even better if I roasted some fresh hazelnuts myself. Run the blender at the highest speed for a couple of minutes until the hazelnuts are completely emulsified, what you get is hazelnut milk.

Transfer the hazelnut milk into a saucepan, preferably one with rounded bottom edges, but any good pan will do. Bring the mixture to a simmer, occasionally scraping the edges with a heat-proof spatula. Remove the pan from heat.

In a bowl whisk 5 egg yolks with 2/3 cup of sugar. Continue whisking when the sugar has dissolved and the mixture turns pale yellow. I find it that taking a short break here and there lets the sugar dissolve faster, which speeds up the process.

In the next step we need to mix the hot hazelnut milk with the egg mixture and make sure to avoid scrambling the eggs. Start by adding a small amount of the hazelnut mixture to the eggs while stirring the egg mixture - I use my Supoon. This way the mixture will warm up and the temperature shock will be smaller. Add some more hazelnut milk, keep stirring. When you have added about 1/2 of the hazelnut milk to the egg mixture, pour the egg mixture into the remaining hazelnut milk in the pan. Now you have a custard mix that you need to warm up so that it thickens.

Purists and Michelin-star restaurants would, at this point, strain the mixture to remove any scrambled egg bits. I did not want to remove any of the hazelnuts and I did not want to make additional mess, so I skipped the straining part. I always make this choice and it always works out well.

Cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping constantly until the mixture thickens and will coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not let the mixture boil. For this step I believe one needs to be pedantic. I really do stir continuously with my supoon/spatula, and I use my instant thermometer to make sure the temperature does not go over 175F. The truth is that 180F or 185F is still OK, but I like to maintain a comfortable margin for error.

Hazelnut gelato mixture chilling in an ice bath

Transfer the custard back to the bowl and stir in a cup of heavy cream (optional) and a couple of tablespoons of Frangelico (optional), and a few teaspoons of hazelnut essence (optional). Now you have the gelato mixture that is ready to be cooled down.

Place the bowl in an ice bath for an hour or so until it is cold. Walk by every now and then and stir the mixture, but do attempt to restrain from snacking on the mixture, unless your design is to consume the custard. It is ridiculously tasty. This way it will chill faster than in your fridge. If you are not making gelato right away, transfer the bowl in a fridge or even a freezer for up to an hour or so.

Gelato ready for consumption

You can freeze the mixture as is and get a tasty frozen brick. Even a simple ice cream maker to finish the gelato will mix in some air and the mixing will prevent large crystals from forming. The result is a smooth and light texture.

I wonder what would happen if one cooked this custard in the oven and chilled it. Are we marching towards hazelnut creme brule?