It’s summertime and that means BBQ with friends, Sauv Blanc on the patio, and lots of cold treats.

It’s no secret that I have a huge sweet tooth and despite chronic issues with cold sensitivity, I can put away ice cream like a champ. So, what’s even better than ice cream? Gelato! And what flavor tops the charts? Chocolate Hazelnut.

Arm me with a spoon and some sunscreen…I’m ready for summer!

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What’s the difference between Gelato and Ice Cream?
The short story is gelato has less fat and less air than ice cream. Generally, they have the same ingredients – cream, milk, sugar, and eggs (usually just the yolks that get cooked into the custard). The proportions are often different to create unique textures. Gelato typically has a higher ratio of milk to cream whereas ice cream is the opposite (hence, the higher fat content in ice cream). Gelato is also churned at a slower rate which means less air gets incorporated. As a result, it’s a denser, creamier experience.

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There is a fantastic gelato place in Phoenix called the Gelato Spot. I love seeing all the colors and flavors filling the stainless steel bins. It’s an absolutely gorgeous display! For years I frequented the shop and splurged on cute containers filled with creamy goodness eaten with the world’s tiniest plastic shovel spoons (you know what I’m talking about). And, of course, that sparked the need to make it myself. For science? For convenience? Pshh, for pure gluttony.

Years ago I received an ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid mixer. Hands down it’s my favorite attachment and probably my most used and abused. Fun fact: I’ve made so many batches of ice cream and gelato that it started leaking blue goo (5 years later or so). I’m now on my second ice cream bowl and it’s already taken delicious custard to gelato heaven many times over. Making gelato is remarkably simple, but like most great things, it takes time.

There is an excellent ice cream and gelato recipe book called The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz that I recommend to anyone with an ice cream maker. Like all the best cookbooks, it has both incredible recipes and gorgeous photos. Even if you don’t make a single recipe, you’ll appreciate the art. But my favorite recipe in the book? Gianduja. It’s a classic Italian flavor of chocolate hazelnut that is the perfect balance of sweet, creamy, nutty, and chocolatey to hit all the tastebuds.

I’ll be honest. The recipe for Gianduja is a royal pain. There are a lot of steps. It requires stages that are, ideally, done in two consecutive days. But by day 3, you’ll be praising the heavens when you’re scraping the bottom of your fourth bowl of this stuff. It’s that good.

Recently Dan had a colleague who was in town for work. He came over for dinner with us and I had whipped up a batch of Gianduja for dessert. Unbeknownst to me, Dan’s colleague had just returned from two weeks in Italy, devouring gelato at least once if not twice per day. His bar for gelato was high and I was panicking. But after the first bowl he looked at me and said, “There’s more right?” and praised the flavor and texture over his second helping. See? It’s that good. Follow the steps, no substitutes or shortcuts, and you’ll win over hearts at the table.

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Day 1

First, you need to gather as many bowls as you can find. There is a lot of moving mixtures from one bowl to another in this recipe. Don’t panic, just keep up with the dishes and you’ll be fine!

Step 1: Prepare the hazelnuts. Depending on the hazelnuts you purchase, you may have to remove the skins before chopping. The last time I was at TJ’s I came across this magical bag of peeled, roasted, and unsalted hazelnuts. All the work done for me!

You’ll chop them to smithereens (such a great word), preferably in a food processor or chopper. I find that my Ninja works wonders for this job. You’ll end up with a bowl full of finely ground hazelnuts, almost to the point of hazelnut butter, which, by the way, is going to be the new almond butter. You heard it here first, folks.

 

 

Meanwhile, on the stove warm the milk, cream, sugar, and salt. Do not boil. Once warm, remove the saucepan from the stove, stir in the hazelnuts, cover, and let steep at room temp for an hour. Think “hazelnut hot tub.”

 

 

 

While all that steeping is happening, you’ll get to work on the chocolate. Chop it up into pieces and place into a bowl. Heat the rest of the cream in a saucepan until it just boils. Pour it over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Then set a strainer on top of the bowl and set it aside.

Once it’s been an hour, you’ll need to strain the hazelnuts and start making the custard.

 

 

 

Using a strainer and a large bowl, pour the hazelnut mixture and then squeeze the mixture with your hands to get out as much of the milk as you can.

The recipe from the book will say to discard the hazelnut mixture. Don’t. That’s blasphemy. If you’re like me, you couldn’t possibly toss $7 worth of sweet, toasted hazelnuts in the trash. Put the mixture in a bowl and leave it on the side – we’ll come back for it later, I promise.

Pour the liquid into another saucepan and rewarm it on the stove. In a separate bowl (see what I mean about the dishes?) separate the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Then pour the warm, but not hot, hazelnut milk mixture into the eggs, whisking the whole time.

It’s important NOT to do this the other way because the eggs will cook and you’ll have gross hazelnut scrambled eggs and no gelato. And that would be sad.

Then scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and stir constantly with a heatproof spatula until the liquid thickens and coats the back of the spoon.

Remember that bowl with the chocolate? Assuming that you didn’t get hungry and ate it all, pour the warm mixture through the strainer on top of the chocolate. Add vanilla and stir with a spool over an ice bath to cool gradually.

Once cool, cover the mixture and place in the fridge for 18-24 hours. And if that ice cream bowl isn’t in the freezer yet, put that in there too.

 

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Day 2

Now that you’re well-rested from the first day, you’ll be excited to know that Day 2 is a breeze by comparison.

Set up your ice cream maker. Get it turning, pour in the custard, and walk away. Typically my machine takes about 10-15 minutes until it’s ready, but follow the instructions on yours to be sure.

Just before it’s finished, toss in the chocolate shavings until they are mixed through. Pour the gelato into a freezer-safe tub (glass snapware works wonderfully) and put it in the freezer overnight.

 

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Day 3

Eat the gelato. All that hard work? Two whole days?! After that first bite you won’t even care. Enjoy the fruits of your labor…and for goodness sake, have a second bowl! You earned it!

Bonus: Remember that hazelnut mixture that was put to the side? Mix in about two teaspoons of flour, spread it out in a thin layer on a silicone baking mat, and bake for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Let cool and crumble over the top of the gelato.

 

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Gianduja Gelato (from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped finely
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 oz dark chocolate, chopped very fine or grated

Directions:

1. Rub the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel to remove as much of the papery skins as possible, then finely chop them in a food processor or blender.

2. Warm the milk with 1 cup (250 mI) of the cream, sugar, and salt in a saucepan.

3. Once warm, remove from the heat and add the chopped hazelnuts. Cover and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

4. Put the milk chocolate pieces in a large bowl. Heat the remaining 1 cup (250 ml) cream in a medium saucepan until it just begins to boil. Pour it over the milk chocolate pieces and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set a mesh strainer over the top.

5. Pour the hazelnut-infused milk through a strainer into a medium saucepan, squeezing the nuts firmly with your hands to extract as much of the flavorful liquid as possible. Discard the hazelnuts* (I like to save them for a crumble topping)

6. Rewarm the hazelnut-infused mixture. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm hazelnut mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

7. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the milk chocolate mixture. Add the vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath.

8. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add chocolate shavings during last minute in ice cream machine. Allow to freeze overnight and serve the next day.

Birthdays. The one day per year that you can channel your inner-child and be blissfully ignorant of your own poor choices from sun up to sun down. An opportunity to go hog wild in gluttony and others can’t judge you (at least not in good conscience). And no such birthday is complete without a cake.

Like most, I have probably eaten my weight in birthday cakes, which is a fun and slightly concerning visual. Growing up all my friends and family had their typical cake – the one they dreamed about for 364 days and then got to devour on the first day of their next trip around the sun.

My best friend always wanted ice cream cake and more specifically, Carvel chocolate ice cream cake with the “crunchies” in the center. My brother still has, and probably forever will have, an obsession with the Funfetti boxed cake that can only be topped with Funfetti frosting — no substitutions. My dad is a chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting kind of guy, preferably eaten cold with a glass of milk. And I’m the weirdo who always asked for peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream, because I had to be different and I really, really, really like peaches. Cake is personality.

With cake comes memories. There is the spectacle of candle flames, the obligatory awkward singing, the botched slicing of the first piece, the argument over who gets the ‘corner’, and the one germaphobe who is praying to the cake gods that there isn’t too much spit from blowing out the candles. Cake is a vehicle for emotions.

When Dan and I were planning our wedding, we had plenty of input from others about what type of cake to have (or not have). Wedding planning brings out everyone’s unsolicited advice and the cake debate was a magnet for commentary. Ignoring all recommendations we went with what we wanted: strawberry shortcake. Summer wedding, 4th of July weekend, light and fresh. Boom. Done. Check that off the list.
But like I said before, with cake comes memories. When I attempted to cut our cake at the reception, the layers started falling and we only had seconds to react before it came down onto the floor. In swooped Dan and my brother for what ended up as one of my favorite photos from our wedding reception. Cake brings people together.

But, as usual, I digress…

Last month was Dan’s birthday (29 again!). Before I met him he reportedly did not have “his” birthday cake – the aforementioned annual event with pomp and circumstance surrounding the unveiling of the the dessert so longed for since the last birthday. No birthday cake? You can imagine the look on my face when he broke the news. Unacceptable. Not in my house.

I don’t recall how or why Key Lime Cheesecake came to be “Dan’s cake.” I may have been looking for inspiration on the internet and stumbled across a recipe. Dan might have thrown me a challenge involving citrus. There may have been haphazard mention of “we haven’t had cheesecake in a long time.” Who knows?!

But the result was glorious. And I’ve had almost a decade of Dan birthdays (several 29th birthdays, in fact) to nail this recipe. It is reserved for only one day of the year and can’t make any cameo appearances. You have to earn this one.

Sour yet sweet. Dense but fluffy. Light but creamy. It’s a conversation starter and a conversation stopper at the same time. The head tilt as you experience a slight pucker in the cheeks? Priceless. It’s become legendary among friends and family. And it’s the most requested recipe that I possess.

This recipe is not the dense and intense slices of Manhattan. It’s more carefree and flexible. A laissez faire of cheesecakes, if you will. The bite from the key limes can be as sharp or mild as you like. Dan and I prefer that it packs a punch. You can ‘cheat’ with key lime juice in the bottle or commit yourself to several hours of extracting droplets of juice from several bags of key limes (your call, no judgment). A water bath is a good idea but not necessary. If the cake cracks in the center, no problem, because you cover it in whipped cream anyway. Cake doesn’t need to be stressful. Especially on your birthday.

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Key Lime Cheesecake (Dan’s Cake)

Crust:

• 2 – 2 1/2 C. finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• 3 T. white sugar
• 1/2 C. unsalted butter, melted (may need more if too dry)

Cheesecake:

• 24 oz. cream cheese (3 8-oz packages), softened
• 3/4 C. white sugar
• 1/2 C. sour cream
• 3 T. all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 – 3/4 cup key lime juice (to taste, if more juice add an extra T. of flour)
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• Whipping cream (prepared the old-fashioned way)
• Lime zest and lime slices (for garnish)

 

Graham Cracker Crust

1. In a bowl stir together the graham cracker crumbs and 2 tablespoons sugar, stir in the butter well. A food processor can also work if you’re starting from whole graham crackers.
2. Pat the mixture into the bottom and 1/2 inch up the side of a buttered 9 inch springform pan. When pressed firmly it should hold together up the sides.
3. Bake the crust in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool.

Key Lime Filling

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth, beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. Beat in the sour cream, flour, lime juice and vanilla and mix until it is smooth. Add lime juice to taste for desired flavor and tartness.
3. Pour the filling into the crust. It will go above the height of the crust.
4. Water bath option: To reduce cracking, fill a 13 x 9 pan about 1/3 – 1/2 way up with water and place on lower rack of preheated oven.
5. Bake the cheesecake on center rack at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 250 degrees and bake for 50 to 55 minutes longer, or until center is barely set. If you gently shake the pan, it will jiggle slightly in the center.
6. Let the cheesecake cool on a rack.  After 10 minutes of cooling, use a paring knife to gently separate the edge of the cheesecake from the pan. Chill, covered, in the fridge overnight.
7. To serve, cover top of cheesecake with a layer of freshly whipped cream and top with freshly grated lime zest. If making ahead, you can store it covered in fridge or freezer without whipped cream and garnish (top just before serving).

When it comes to desserts, I prefer recipes that are utterly complicated. Weird, I know.

But there are some nights that I want chocolate and, to quote Veruca Salt, I want it now!

Lava cakes are one of the best kept secrets of any home baker. They look like they have taken hours of work, tons of ingredients, and complex techniques. But they don’t.

Six ingredients. 30 minutes from start to finish. Seriously.

Not long ago I taught my former roommate (a guy whose livelihood depends on the microwave) to whip these up for a girl he was trying to woo. He got it on the first try. Oh and he got the girl too!

 

Let’s do this.

Break up your chocolate and throw it into a microwave-safe bowl with the butter. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, take it out and stir, then repeat until it looks like this:

Resist the urge to eat a spoonful and add the powdered sugar. Whisk it in until it’s a uniform color.

 

Then add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk them in. I prefer to beat them in a coffee mug beforehand to make it easier to incorporate. Add the flour and whisk until the batter is a uniform dark color again.

Up to this point you will have a classic chocolate lava cake. No bells or whistles.
Enter my secret weapon.

This stuff is a game changer. Honestly you can add any flavoring to your batter and the experimentation is half of the fun. Try vanilla, rum flavoring, bourbon, Cointreau (orange), Kahlua (coffee),  whatever you fancy. Add about 1/2 teaspoon and mix it in.

Now to prepare the ramekins. The most harrowing moment of lava cakes is turning them out onto a plate. If you butter your ramekins adequately, you won’t even break a sweat.

 

Pro tip: Butter the crap out of your ramekins! “But I always use cooking spray for my pans and it’s totally fine.” No. Use butter – a lot of it. Don’t hold back. I’ve found that it’s easiest to use a sandwich bag for this (yes, like going-for-a-walk-with-your-dog style) to get good coverage on the ramekins and keep your hands completely clean. Magic!

Bake for 13 minutes (no more, no less) in a 425° oven. They are done if the edge is firm and the center is squishy – technical terms, I assure you. Pull them out of the oven and let them sit for a minute. Then run a butter knife around the edge.

Now for the magic inversion: Grab a small plate and cover the top of the ramekin (this will be the bottom of the cake). Flip it over and gently lift the ramekin. And for goodness sake, use potholders and don’t burn yourself!

Now dust with some powered sugar, add a scoop of ice cream, and voila!

See? That was a piece of cake…err, easy as pie…. Why are all idioms food-related? Weird.

What are you waiting for? Stop reading…Get a spoon!

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Molten Lava Cakes

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate*
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of flavoring (e.g., vanilla, bourbon, Kahlua, etc)
• Extra powdered sugar or ice cream

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Butter four ramekins/custard cuts. Place on baking sheet.
2. In a microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate and butter together. Start with 30 seconds on high, then stir with a whisk, and repeat until smooth.
3. Stir in powdered sugar until well blended. Add in eggs and egg yolks with wisk. Stir in flour and flavoring of choice. Divide batter between prepared custard cups.
4. Bake 13 to 14 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand
   1 minute. Carefully run a small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto
   dessert dishes. Serve immediately with a dusting of powdered sugar and a scoop of ice cream. Yields 4 lava cakes.

*Bakers brand chocolate used to come in 1 oz squares. The newer packaging is slightly different where 1 “old” square = 4 new pieces. Make sure to read the box to get the correct measurements.