Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato with Choconut Cones

Spring has finally sprung in Auckland – woo hooo! However as always when writing recipes for the blog I am hyper-aware that a goodly portion of my followers (is that too dorky to say ‘followers’ – it sounds very dorky indeed…anyone have an alternative…?) are experiencing autumn while we wait for the sun to come out. Soooo, I think this little hazelnutty chocolatey gelato should suit both. The rich chocolate hazelnut flavours are just as good in winter as summer, and of course for my fellow ‘springies’, it suits the warmer weather. Phew! Oh, and it is also decadently delicious, reminding me of Nick and my daily gelatos while in Italy – argh – feels like an eternity ago! 🙂

2 cups whole milk

1 cup cream
1/4 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped

1 tbsp dutch cocoa
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup Nutella

1 tbsp Frangelico 

6-8 sugar cones

100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1/2 cup crushed, toasted hazelnuts

Put the milk, cream 1/4 cup of the sugar and vanilla bean seeds in a saucepan and heat on medium, whisking, until the sugar is dissolved. Leave for a minute while you whisk the egg yolks, cocoa and other 1/4 cup sugar until they are fluffyish and full. Whisking all the time, pour warm milk mix into the eggs. Pour back into the saucepan and put back on the heat – this time gentle/medium and keep whisking until the mixture thickens. You can test by stirring with a wooden spoon and running your finger across the back of the spoon – if it leaves a clear line in the centre, you’re done. Pour into a bowl, cover the surface with glad wrap and put in the fridge to chill. When cool, churn and freeze in an ice cream maker then store in a covered container in the freezer until ready to serve. To prepare cones, melt the chocolate in a shallow bowl over a pot of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the pot doesn’t touch the water) or in a microwave by giving 30 second bursts on medium heat. Whisk chocolate until smooth. Dip cones in and roll in hazelnuts to coat.