Gianduja Stracciatella Gelato

This summer it's been a requirement to have homemade ice cream in the freezer at all times.  I figure if I'm going to splurge, it might as well be worth it-and homemade ice cream is always worth it!

This gelato is definitely worth it-it's perfectly rich, creamy and smooth with just the right amount of chocolate and hazelnut flavors.  I love hazelnut anything, especially when it's paired with chocolate.  If you are wondering why this isn't just called "hazelnut gelato", it's named after an Italian candy called Gianduja, which is a chocolate hazelnut candy.  I was curious about that too-so I did some research!

I also added the stracciatella-of course I did-it meant adding more chocolate-and isn't life always better with more chocolate? Stacciatella just sounds fancy but it is actually really easy to make-all it involves is essentially melting the chocolate and then slowly drizzling it in-and it can be added to any type of ice cream. I think the stracciatella was one of my favorite parts of this gelato-it added a nice chocolatey crunch which was a nice contrast to the smooth chocolate hazelnut ice cream.

Gianduja Stracciatella Gelato

1-1/2 cups (185 grams) toasted hazelnuts
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
3/4 cup (170g) sugar
1/4 tsp coarse salt
4 oz milk chocolate (at least 30% cacao solids), chopped
5 large egg yolks
1/8 tsp vanilla extract

For the Stracciatella: 5 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (do not use chips)
Rub the toasted hazelnuts in a kitchen towel after roasting to remove as much of the papery skin as possible. Discard the skins. Chop the hazelnuts in a food processor or blender until finely chopped.

Warm the milk with 1 cup of the cream, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Once warm, remove from heat and add the chopped toasted hazelnuts. Cover and let steep for 1-1/2 hours.

Put the milk chocolate pieces in a large bowl. Heat the remaining 1 cup of cream in a medium saucepan until it begins to boil. Pour the cream over the milk chocolate pieces and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set a mesh strainer over the top of the bowl.

Pour the hazelnut-infused milk through a strainer into a medium saucepan. Squeeze the nuts with your hands to etract as much of the flavorful liquid as possible. Discard the hazelnuts.

Rewarm the halzenut-infused mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. If you don't have a rubber bottomed bowl, place it on a rubber glove or moistened kitchen towel for the next step. Slowly pour the warm hazelnut mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constanly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constanly over medium heat with a wooden or heatproof plastic spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the straner and stir it into the melted milk chocolate. Add the vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

While the ice cream is freezing, melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. At the end of the ice cream churning, pour the melted chocolate directly into the ice cream machine in a thin stream.

Serve immediately for a soft, smooth gelato. Place gelato in a container and freeze for a firmer gelato.

*Note: To toast hazelnuts-spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for ten minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven and let cool and then remove skins by rolling in a clean dish towel.