SMS: Hazelnut Truffles

Thanks to Annie of Living Life Foodcariously, the Sweet Melissa Sundays group made its first foray into the “Favorite Gifts” section of the book with Hazelnut Truffles (click HERE on Annie’s site for the recipe); even though I love the combination of hazelnuts and chocolate, truffles aren’t really a huge favorite of mine (too rich), but I had fun making them and my boyfriend assures me he will have no trouble eating the quarter recipe I made on his own; there was also an irresistible-sounding recipe for Giuanduia (hazelnut-flavored chocolate) Gelato in this month’s issue of Gourmet, so I made that as well – gotta use up the bag of hazelnuts somehow – and it is fabulous.



Gianduia Gelato, from August 2009 issue of Gourmet
2 cups hazelnuts (8 oz), toasted, skins rubbed off, and cooled
¾ cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ½ cups whole milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cocoa), finely chopped

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, for 20 minutes.
Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then return to cleaned saucepan.
Put ¼ cup milk mixture in a small bowl and whisk in cornstarch; add to mixture in saucepan , then bring to 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 (I left mine overnight, so it didn’t get the occasional stir).
Freeze mixture in ice cream maker. (The recipe did not specify how long and I had never made a gelato before, twenty-ish minutes seemed fine). Transfer to an airtight container and freeze to firm up.