Mark Harrison

MARK'S HOME-MADE CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

(Makes about 1 litre) Either shred the chocolate with a grater or melt it in a Pyrex bowl balanced on a saucepan of boiling water, so that the chocolate is gently melted by the heat of the steam. Don't melt the chocolate directly in a saucepan. You may like to chop the hazelnuts more finely with a food blender for a smoother ice-cream or leave them more roughly chopped for a crunchier texture. Blend in the hazelnuts and extra-thick double cream gradually and thoroughly. If you have used grated chocolate and have an electric whisk, you may be able to beat in a fair amount of air to make a lighter textured ice-cream. One trick I use is to use a single whisk and stir in the opposite direction to the direction in which the whish turns. This seems to trap in more air. If you have used melted chocolate, the mixture is probably too thick to whisk. Pour into a plastic freezer-type container (1 litre capacity) and allow to freeze overnight. No churning is required during freezing.

Serve with wholemeal biscuits, on Belgian waffles, with wafers parasols, sparklers, sprinkled with chopped roasted hazelnuts, etc. to taste. (...though you might think my tastes are slightly over the top!) Don't be alarmed if this ice-cream doesn't ssem to melt. It has a fairly high fat content - so it tends not to melt - though it keeps perfectly well for a month or two in a frozen food compartment.

The recipe with molten chocolate is also good for making truffles/noisettes/pralines - though it is so tedious to roll each truffle and coat them in flaked chocolate or molten chocolate - so I only make them for special occasions.

Well, I hope you enjoy the recipe. If you're into making ice-cream, drop me a line...

Back to the kitchen...

Going Home...

Mark Harrison mark.harrison@cantab.net, Marburg, May 2, 1998