Caramel Ice cream with Hazelnut Praline

I am a huge fan of Ice creams and it’s usually my favorite dessert of choice.

What’s your favorite flavor of Ice cream?

I love my ice creams just anyway except the mint, and would be more than happy if it’s served on a cone. 🙂 I don’t limit my Ice creams to summer’s and it’s pretty much a year around activity in my house. So, Ice cream lovers do keep an eye on my blog, as there are many more ice cream recipes lined up.

I just love the caramel sauce and often make them at home with variations. But, a caramel ice cream with some pralines was what I still had to try my hands on. It’s a simple No Churn Ice cream which is easy to make at home. But, the caramel sauce and hazelnut praline do need your attention.

Caramel Ice cream would have been just fine on its own. But, adding these nutty Praline’s did make it a more delicious and appealing ice cream flavor. And, yes we did Enjoy every bite of it..

Ingredients:

For the Caramel Sauce:

3/4 cup   Sugar

1/4 cup    Water

1/2 cup   Thick Cream (hot)

1 tbsp   Butter

For the Creamy Hazelnut Praline:

1/2 cup   Brown Sugar

1/4 cup   Sugar

1/4 cup   Heavy Cream

3/4 cup   Roasted and Chopped Hazelnut (i forgot to chop them and thus had to crush them later)

2 tbsp    Butter

For the Ice cream:

3 cup    Thick Cream (Chilled)

3/4 cup   Milk

1/2 cup   Sugar

1 tsp   Vanilla

1/4 cup Caramel Sauce

1/4 cup Caramel Sauce for topping and serving

3/4 cup of Hazelnut Praline ( that we have prepared)

Method:

To make the Caramel Sauce:

1. Take sugar and water in a sauce pan, and stir well to dissolve the sugar.
2. Heat on high and bring it to boil.
3. In order to dissolve any sugar crystals formed on the sides of the pan, brush the sides with the basting brush dipped in water.
4. Now reduce the heat to medium-high and continue to cook until the sugar starts to turn deep amber. Immediately switch off the gas and remove it from the heat or it will burn.
5. Now very carefully and slowly pour the hot thick cream into the caramel and keep whisking. At this stage the mixture will bubble up severely and will calm down as you keep whisking. Add butter and mix well. Pour 1/2 cup caramel  in bowl 1 which will be used for making ice cream and pour 1/4 cup caramel in bowl 2, which we will use for topping, making swirls and servings.  Transfer the rest (if any) in an air tight container. Let it cool down completely.
6. Once the caramel is in room temperature, we are going to use the bowl 1 for making the ice cream. And, the bowl 2 will be used for topping, making swirls and serving.
7. Note:  You can add kosher salt at the end to make it a salted caramel sauce.

To make the Hazelnut Praline:

1. Combine the brown sugar, sugar, cream and butter in a heavy bottom sauce pan on medium heat.
2. Bring the mixture to boil and let it continue to boil for another 3 to 5 mins more so that its lightly caramelized.
3. Stir in the lightly roasted and chopped hazelnuts and mix with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and continue to stir until the candy cools down and the hazelnuts are well coated.
4. Spoon on to the parchment lined on a baking tray to cool down completely.
5. If your hazelnuts are not coated properly then probably it’s because the mixture in step 2 was not well caramelized before adding the hazelnuts. In this case just transfer the mixture into a saucepan and cook on medium heat for 2-3 mins until the mixture is caramelized and follow step 3 and 4.
6. Note: I just forgot to chop the roasted hazelnuts before adding it to the caramel, and thus had to crush the coated hazelnut praline for further use.

To make the Caramel Ice cream:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together chilled thick cream, bowl 1 of caramel sauce (i e 1/2 cup of caramel sauce), sugar and vanilla until the sugar has dissolved and a soft peak has formed.
2. Add milk, 3/4th of the hazelnut praline and whisk further until well combined. Check the taste and feel free to add more caramel sauce. But, do remember you are going to use more caramel as a topping later and might not want the ice cream to become extra sweet.
3. Transfer the mixture into a chilled air tight container or a loaf container. And refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
4. Now, i whisked the ice cream well using a fork. And finally seal the container with the cling wrap . Freeze for 6 – 8 hours or preferably over night.
5. Finally, when the ice cream is fully frozen, pour the room temperature caramel into the ice cream and let it swirl through the mixture. And freeze further for an hour.
6. Scoop out the Ice cream, and serve with some caramel sauce and hazelnut praline drizzled on the top.