Praline and Nutella Ice Cream

This is the easiest ice cream as it’s no churn, ie you don’t have to use an ice cream maker. The basic ice cream mix is from a recipe from the wonderful Annabel Langbein, See here for the link to a recipe for the simple Ice Cream Base.

I have made this ice cream many times with lots of variations. I blogged My Passionfruit Ice Cream Slice a while back.

So here is the recipe for ice cream with lots of nuts, toffee, peanut butter and Nutella! Great on its own but even nicer in a waffle cone!

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Praline
3 tbls caster sugar
75g nuts – macadamias, hazelnuts, almonds work well

Ice Cream Base
3 eggs
10 tbsp caster sugar, divided in half
2 tbsp boiling water
2 cups cream, chilled

2 tbls peanut butter
1 tbls Nutella

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For the praline, spread the nuts onto a piece of baking paper on baking tray. Put the caster sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a heavy based frying pan. Carefully melt the sugar over a medium heat, being careful not to stir the sugar or it will crystalize. Once the sugar has melted and turned a tea colour, carefully pour the hot toffee over the nuts and allow to set.

Once set, break the praline into two. Bash one half into smaller pieces. Grind the other half to a fine powder.

For the ice cream, line two small  loaf tins with cling wrap, making sure the clingwrap overhangs the tins for easy removal of the ice cream. You could also use 6 large silicone muffin mounds. You could line them too, but the ice creams should just slip out if you run a hot knife round the edges.

To make the Ice Cream Base, separate the eggs. Place the egg whites in your largest bowl and the egg yolks in a smaller bowl, ensuring no yolk gets mixed in with the whites. Add 5 tbsp of the caster sugar to the egg whites and beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks (about 6-7 minutes). Set aside.

Add the remaining 5 tbsp of caster sugar and the boiling water to the bowl containing the three egg yolks. Beat until pale, thick and ribbony. You will know it is ready when it holds a figure of eight.

In a third bowl, beat the cream to soft peaks. Gently fold the egg yolks and cream into the beaten egg whites using a large flat spoon. This is your Ice Cream Base.

Fold in the praline pieces and the praline powder, and the peanut butter. Spoon the ice cream into the loaf tins or mounds. You can stir through the Nutella at this point, or as I did, ripple in the Nutella after the ice cream has been in the freezer for 30 minutes. This creates a more defined swirl.

Place in the freezer for several hours. If freezing for longer than that, cover to prevent freezer burn or flavour taint.

To serve, remove from the fridge and scoop into waffle cones, or lift out of the tin and cut into slices.

Drizzle with more Nutella, or sprinkle with any left over praline pieces, if you like.