Nutella Ice Cream!

Nutella: (n.) a delicious chocolately hazelnut spread that makes everything better. 


I've made chocolate cakes with nutella mousse and slathered nutella on just about everything one can conceive, and not surprisingly nutella ice cream was like magic. It was like soft serve poured directly out of a unicorn's horn.  Since I have the nicest boyfriend in the world (hoping he sees this and buys me nice things), I got a KitchenAid stand mixer for my birthday in October and have been admiring all of the fun things it can do. Not only does it mix anything and everything but it works as an ice cream maker, pasta roller, can wash the cat, iron your clothes, fold your socks, tell you where babies come from, and write a hit song*. 


Anyhow, here's the recipe for the nutella ice cream. It's so good you'll find yourself sleepwalking, waking up in the kitchen with a spoon in your mouth and a delicious creamy bite of ice cream sliding down your throat. 


Nutella Ice Cream, with thanks to Giada De Laurentiis (who i don't think actually eats anything she makes because she looks like a stick figure sim. you know, the sims? that computer game? anyhow... on with the recipe.)

i borrowed this picture because mine didn't come out as well.. :)

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, crushed, for garnish

Directions

In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Slowly pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. This will help to warm your eggs so they don't scramble because no one wants to taste eggs in their ice cream. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla and hazelnut spread until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze. To serve, scoop gelato into serving bowls and top with hazelnuts.

Happy cooking! Enjoy the ice cream!

*stand mixer may or may not actually do the functions listed. please consult the owner's manual for actual functionality. 

Brandied Peach Pork Chops

Flambé!

Did that get you a little excited? maybe a little scared? I'm sorry for toying with your emotions like this, but you're going to have to flambe for this one. DON'T PANIC. Dry those tears from your eyes and GET READY TO LIGHT SOME SHIT ON FIRE!

    So as you've probably noticed by now, I like pork chops. I think that they're delicious and they are so versatile that you can do just about anything with them so I am always on the lookout for delicious new pork recipes. When peaches were plentiful and cheap in the store, I thought to myself "I bet those would taste great with some choppies..." Naturally, I plugged Peach Pork Chops in to google and it turned me to epicurious and a delicious recipe for Brandied Peach Pork Chops. I read through with excitement and trepidation as they called for you to cook the pork chops, then start in on the peaches and ignite the brandy at the end, but apparently it's really easy and the excitement and flare it provides to a simple dinner is over the top. Here's the recipe - try it, enjoy it, and make sure there's nothing within four feet above your pan when you try this one!

Brandied Peach Pork Chops

serves 4

total time - about 40 minutes

Ingredients:

4 pork chops

2 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots

1 tsp finely chopped thyme

12 oz peaches, fresh or frozen

1/3 cup peach preserves

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp brandy, divided (i recommend E&J X O extra smooth for its tones of caramel and vanilla - it's the best one I could find and it was all of like $10)

The Five Easy Steps!

1. Pat pork drops dry, then sprinkle on both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper total.

2. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook pork chops, turning once, until browned and just cooked through, 10-12 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to let your meat rest.

3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet. Heat the butter in the skillet until the foam subsides then cook shallots with thyme until tenter and golden brown, about 5 minutes.

4. Add 1/4 cup brandy to skillet and carefully ignite with a kitchen match (Be careful! The flames will shoot up!) then cook over medium heat, scraping bottom of skillet to loosen brown bits. When flames subside, add peaches, preserves, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the peaches are tenter and juicy, about 5 minutes.

5. Stir in remaining tablespoon brandy and then spoon over the pork chops. 

Only five steps? You get to use shallots?? YOU GET TO LIGHT THINGS ON FIRE??? To top it all off, it's also incredibly delicious. Another easy recipe to impress dinner guests (just make sure you get the payoff and that they're there for the fire part. Odds are they'll be so impressed they might start throwing money or jewelry or their underwear at you! It only gets awkward when your dinner guest is your grandmother...) 

What's that? the peaches look so good you want a close up? I hear you, you attractive food lover, you and I shall provide. Happy Cooking!