Hazelnut Praline Ice Cream
 
 
Rich vanilla ice cream, swirled with crunchy pieces of hazelnut praline.
Author:
Ingredients
For the praline:
  • ½ cup (110g) caster sugar (regular granulated sugar is fine)
  • ⅔ cup (125g) whole skinned hazelnuts
For the ice cream:
  • 3 tbsp cream cheese
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 + ½ tbsp cornstarch (cornflour in Australia)
  • 1 + ¼ cups heavy cream
  • ⅔ cup caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp glucose syrup (or light corn syrup)
  • 1 vanilla bean (or more, if you can afford it)
Instructions
  1. To make the praline, place the nuts into a dry frying pan and cook them over a medium heat until they look burnished and golden.
  2. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
  3. In a medium sized, heavy based saucepan add the sugar, along with 2 tbsps of water and place over a high heat.
  4. Cook the sugar and water, never stirring, until it begins to change colour. You can swirl the pan gently to ensure the sugar caramelises evenly.
  5. Once you have an amber caramel, carefully add the hazelnuts and keep cooking for a few minutes, swirling the pan so that all the nuts are coated.
  6. Tip the mixture out onto the lined baking tray, ensuring the nuts are in one layer, and leave to cool completely.
  7. To make the ice cream, place the cream cheese and salt into a large mixing bowl, and stir together until smooth.
  8. Place 2 tbsp of the milk, and the cornstarch into a small bowl, and stir them together.
  9. Place the remaining ingredients into a large saucepan, including the vanilla bean, split and with the seeds scraped out and added.
  10. Bring the mixture to the boil over a medium heat, and let boil for 4 minutes.
  11. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch and milk. Return to the heat briefly, until the mixture thickens.
  12. Now, slowly incorporate the thickened mixture into the cream cheese and salt, ensuring there are no lumps. Cover and chill until completely cold.
  13. Churn the ice cream according to the instructions on your ice cream machine.
  14. Chop the praline finely by hand, or in a food processor.
  15. When the ice cream is churned, pack it into a container, generously sprinkling each layer with plenty of praline, finishing with praline. You may have a little left over - bonus!
Recipe by The Sugar Hit at https://www.thesugarhit.com/2014/05/hazelnut-praline-ice-cream.html