5-Ingredient Hazelnut Ice Cream

     Let me start off by saying sorry for the absence. I went to Brazil for my spring break to spend time with family, and actually managed to get quite a lot of baking done with my cousins; but, I definitely didn't have the time/concentration for blogging! I did take pictures, though, so lots of recipes to come...
   This is a simple recipe that I made a while ago to have with some chocolate macarons for dessert. The flavors aren't too complicated, which can be nice sometimes - it just tastes like hazelnut, with the creamy goodness of frozen custard! While this recipe does require cooking the custard mixture (this is not a whipped-cream-based one), it has only 5 ingredients and comes together quickly. I loved that it was chock-full of hazelnuts; it makes it perfect for eating in small scoops with cookies. If, however, you want a creamier or smoother ice cream, you can reduce the quantity of hazelnuts (I think it would be great with half the amount of hazelnuts, chopped in larger pieces).
    Enjoy!

5-Ingredient Hazelnut Ice Cream

(adapted from Emeril for Food Network)

1 1/2 cups hazelnuts
4 cups half-and-half
1 cup granulated sugar
6 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the hazelnuts on the baking sheet and roast until golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Chop the nuts (my mom was kind enough to finely chop them for me!) and set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the half-and-half and sugar. Bring to a simmer. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Add 1 cup of the hot liquid to the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Add the yolk mixture to the saucepan of liquid and whisk until incorporated. Bring the liquid back to simmer and continue to cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Pour the mixture into a glass bowl and stir in the vanilla. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture. This will prevent a skin from forming while cooling. Cool the mixture completely. Stir in the nuts. Process the mixture in an ice cream machine until creamy and thick, usually about 20 minutes (but depends on the machine). Freeze until ready to eat.