Roasted Hazelnut Vanilla Ice Cream Food

ROASTED HAZELNUT VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Spread hazelnuts on a rimmed baking pan and roast, stirring once or twice, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack.
• Split vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape seeds into a saucepan. Add vanilla pod, milk, cream, 1/4 cup sugar and the salt. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rub still-warm hazelnuts in a clean dish towel to remove skins. Take saucepan off heat and allow cream to cool while you prepare hazelnut paste.
• In a food processor, place 1/2 cup hazelnuts, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the Cognac or rum and purée until a paste forms, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape paste into saucepan holding milk mixture and return it to medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally until paste dissolves, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard vanilla pod and stir in vanilla extract. Transfer to a bowl and place in refrigerator or set into an ice bath to chill. Coarsely chop remaining hazelnuts.
• When mixture is cold, pour it into bowl of an ice cream machine along with 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts and churn according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer to a container and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving, or in refrigerator for 15 to 30. Sprinkle with remaining hazelnuts.

HAZELNUT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place hazelnuts in a baking pan and bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly toasted.
• Place nuts on a cloth towel, wrap the nuts up, and rub them together until their papery skins come off.
• Cool nuts.
• In blender or food processor, grind nuts until are finely ground and start to release their oil but still have texture.
• In a double boiler combine half-and-half and the nuts.
• Cook over simmering water for 15 minutes.
• Whisk sugar into the egg yolks.
• Whisk some of the hot half-and-half mixture with the egg yolks return the egg yolk mixture to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the spoon.
• When done, place the pan in a pan of very cold water and stir until cool.
• Stir the cream and Frangelico or extract into the mixture.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight, or til thoroughly chilled.
• Freeze in an ice cream maker following the manufactuer's directions.
• Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT WAFFLES WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM AND FUDGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk first 7 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Stir 6 tablespoons warm water and espresso powder in small bowl until powder dissolves. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in oil, vanilla and espresso mixture. Cool to lukewarm.
• Whisk eggs, then 1 1/4 cups buttermilk and ground hazelnuts into chocolate mixture; add to dry ingredients and whisk to blend well.
• Preheat waffle iron to medium heat, following manufacturer's instructions. Pour about 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter (depending on size of waffle iron) into center of waffle iron; spread evenly with spatula. Close waffle iron and cook until waffle is cooked through but still soft and color on outside darkens, about 4 minutes (time will vary, depending on waffle iron). Using spatula, transfer waffle to rack. Repeat with remaining batter. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Let waffles stand at room temperature. Before continuing, transfer to baking sheet and rewarm in 400°F oven until crisp, about 6 minutes.)
• Stir liqueur into warm Fudge Sauce. Cut each waffle diagonally in half, forming triangles. Arrange 3 waffle triangles on each of 6 plates. Dust with powdered sugar. Place scoop of ice cream atop waffle triangles. Pour Fudge Sauce over waffles and ice cream. Sprinkle with toffee bits and chopped hazelnuts.