Gianduja Chocolate Fondant With Devonshire Ice Cream Recipes

GIANDUJA SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Butter and sugar 6 (6-ounce) ramekins.
• Heat the butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, hazelnut liqueur, and vanilla in a double boiler over medium heat until the butter melts. Remove the butter mixture from the heat, add the chocolate, and let sit until it melts, about 3 minutes. Place the chocolate mixture in a pie dish and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. Use a spoon to form the chilled mixture into 6 evenly-sized balls about the size of a walnut. Reserve in the refrigerator.
• Meanwhile, place the flour in a double boiler and slowly whisk in the milk. Add the salt. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly until thick, about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks and continue to whisk constantly. The mixture will thicken to the consistency of mayonnaise in another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat. Stir in the 6 ounces of chocolate and set aside to let the chocolate melt.
• Place the egg whites in a large bowl with the cream of tartar. Using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks. Gradually add in the 1/4 cup sugar and continue whipping until firm peaks. Fold the egg whites into the warm chocolate mixture.
• Place a ball of the chilled chocolate mixture in each of the ramekins. Spoon the souffle mixture over the chocolate balls and up to the rim of the ramekins. (At this point the souffle can be covered and kept refrigerated for 2 days.)
• Place the ramekins in a hot water bath and bake until golden on top and the souffle has risen, about 30 minutes (40 minutes if refrigerated). Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE GRITS ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a whisk, about 30 seconds. Add the cocoa, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the milk and beat until thickened and dark, glossy brown in color, about 3 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, heat 1 1/2 cups half-and-half and the cream over medium-low heat until a candy thermometer registers150 degrees F. (You may see steam rising from the pan, but the milk and cream should not start to boil.)
• With a sharp knife, slice the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape the tiny black seeds into the half-and-half, and add the vanilla bean to the pan. Add the grits and continue to cook, stirring occasionally and maintaining the temperature around 150 degrees F, until the grits swell and the mixture thickens to the consistency of a thin porridge, about 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the freshness of the grits and the coarseness of the grind. Remove the vanilla bean and discard.
• Whisk 1 cup of the half-and-half and grits mixture slowly into the cocoa mixture, stirring constantly until the liquids are thoroughly incorporated. Add the chopped chocolate to the grits mixture remaining in the saucepan and stir until it dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the cocoa mixture into the grits and chocolate mixture and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the custard thickens to the texture of a thick, liquid pudding, 8 to 12 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and transfer to a container. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the custard and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, until the custard is very cold.
• Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until the ice cream becomes very thick and holds its shape. Quickly transfer the ice cream to a container with a tight-fitting lid. If there is any space between the surface of the ice cream and the lid, pat a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface. Cover the container.
• Freeze the ice cream until it has hardened, at least 2 hours. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving and remove the plastic wrap.
• Serve small scoops of ice cream in bowls, and garnish with shaved chocolate or for fun, a pinch of dry, raw grits.

GIANDUIA GELATO

Steps:

• Pulse hazelnuts with sugar and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a heavy medium saucepan with milk and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 20 minutes.
• Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then return to cleaned saucepan.
• Put 1/4 cup milk mixture in a small bowl and whisk in cornstarch. Return to saucepan, then boil over medium heat 2 minutes, whisking often (mixture will be thick). Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until melted and incorporated. Chill, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours.
• Freeze mixture in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.

GIANDUJA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spread each of the brownies with 1 tablespoon of nutella. Sprinkle each of the brownies with 1 tablespoon chopped hazelnuts. Top the nuts with 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips. Place the brownies on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the chocolate is starting to melt. Transfer the brownies to the refrigerator and let cool until the chocolate hardens, about one hour.

LOW CARB QUICK CHOCOLATE ALMOND ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread almonds out on a sheet pan and bake for about 5 to 7 minutes until just golden brown. (Watch them carefully as they can burn easily.) Remove and cool.
• With an electric mixer on high, whip the heavy cream in a bowl just until frothy and add in the sugar substitute, extracts, cocoa powder, and ricotta cheese. Continue to whip on high until peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip, or cream will break.
• Fold in toasted almonds. Using a 3-ounce ice cream scoop, place 1 scoop each in a champagne glass and freeze as "faux" ice cream or serve refrigerated as a parfait. If desired, garnish with low carb whipped cream, toasted almonds, a strawberry fan, cocoa powder, and a sprig of fresh mint.

FONDANT GLAZED PETIT FOURS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment whip the egg whites until stiff but not dry. In a mixer fitted with a whip attachment cream the butter until smooth. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar and mix. Add the vanilla and almond extract and mix well.
• Sift the flour 3 times with the baking powder (this is to lighten the cakes). Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix. Add 1/2 of the milk to the butter mixture and mix. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix. Add the remaining milk and mix. Add the remaining flour and mix until smooth. Fold in the egg whites.
• Pour the batter into a parchment lined jellyroll pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until firm to the touch 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan then chill.
• To make the fondant: Whisk the corn syrup into the hot water until dissolved, then whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in lemon extract. Divide into smaller bowls and color with food coloring, adding color until you achieve desired shade.
• To make the petit fours, cut the cold cake into small squares, rectangles, and circles using small cookie cutters. Place the cakes on a wire rack over a pan to catch the drippings, inverting them in order to have the golden layer on the bottom. If the fondant has become stiff, just whisk until smooth again. If the fondant is has not become to stiff, proceed to the next step. Either dip the cakes into the fondant and place on the rack to drain or ladle the fondant over the cakes, making sure all sides are coated. Once they are set, they should be coated again. Let dry, then with melted chocolate or colored fondant, pipe thin decorative lines or use silver dragees.
• Notes about the recipe: There are many options for these darling little cakes. You can split the cake in half horizontally and spread it with jam, you can spread jam on the top and stick down a thin layer of rolled marzipan or do the simplest plain version like I did here. You can also tint the fondant different pastel colors.

GIANDUIA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Chop chocolates into small pieces and in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolates with hazelnut butter, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat.
• Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into a 3-quart heavy saucepan. Add pod, milk, and cream and bring mixture to a simmer over moderate heat. Remove pan from heat.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Add hot cream mixture to egg mixture in a slow stream, whisking, and pour into pan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly until a thermometer registers 170° F. (do not let the custard boil or it will curdle.)
• Pour custard through a sieve into a clean bowl and stir in chocolate mixture until combined well. Chill custard, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day.
• Serve ice cream sprinkled with hazelnuts.
• Or available for purchase from Dundee Orchards, P.O. Box 327, Dundee, OR 97115, (503) 538-8105.

GINEVRA IVERSON'S CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees and spread hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Let cool for about 10 minutes (or until cool enough to handle but still warm) and rub the nuts in a dish towel to remove most of the skins (some will cling and that's O.K.).
• In a medium bowl, melt together gianduja paste and butter, either over a pot with 1 inch of simmering water or in a microwave. Keep mixture warm.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the half-and-half, sugar, salt and vanilla bean to a simmer until the sugar melts, taking care not to boil. Stir occasionally.
• Place egg yolks in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in a 1/4 cup of the hot half-and-half mixture, whisking constantly and carefully so as not to scramble the yolks. Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the remaining half-and-half, whisking constantly. Heat the custard through, but do not simmer. If you see curdled clumps in your custard, pass through a fine strainer before continuing.
• While whisking constantly, slowly pour the warm custard into the warm melted chocolate (you want the two mixtures to be the same temperature). Once the chocolate custard is thoroughly combined and smooth, whisk in heavy cream. Cover custard and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
• Pour chocolate hazelnut custard into an ice cream machine and chill according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Fold whole hazelnuts into ice cream, excluding any powder from the nuts (it just feels gritty on the tongue). Serve at once or freeze.
• To serve, drizzle with melted bittersweet chocolate.

GIANDUIA CHOCOLATES

Steps:

• Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan and line with plastic wrap, allowing a 2-inch overhang.
• Toast and skin hazelnuts. In a food processor pulse hazelnuts until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Chop chocolates into 1/4-inch pieces, reserving 1 slightly mounded tablespoon bittersweet chocolate for tempering. In a double boiler or a metal pan set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt three fourths of chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and add remaining chocolate in 2 or 3 batches, stirring until smooth and allowing each batch to melt before adding next.
• When all of chocolate is melted, test its temperature: Put a dab of chocolate on the inside of your lower lip; it should be slightly cooler than your body temperature. If chocolate is too warm, add reserved chocolate, stirring until smooth.
• Stir hazelnuts and hazelnut butter into chocolate until combined well and spread mixture in pan. Chill confection, covered with plastic wrap, until firm, at least 2 hours. Lift confection out of pan and peel off plastic wrap. On a cutting board with a sharp large knife cut confection lengthwise into 1-inch strips and cut strips crosswise into 1-inch squares. Chocolates keep, covered and chilled, 1 month.