Caramel Ice cream with Hazelnut Praline

To make the Caramel Sauce: Take sugar and water in a sauce pan, and stir well to dissolve the sugar.

Heat on high and bring it to boil.

In order to dissolve any sugar crystals formed on the sides of the pan, brush the sides with the basting brush dipped in water.

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.

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.

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.

Note: You can add kosher salt at the end to make it a salted caramel sauce.

To make the Hazelnut Praline: Combine the brown sugar, sugar, cream and butter in a heavy bottom sauce pan on medium heat.

Bring the mixture to boil and let it continue to boil for another 3 to 5 mins more so that its lightly caramelized.

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.

Spoon on to the parchment lined on a baking tray to cool down completely.

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.

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: 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.

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 for topping later and wont want it to be too sweet.

Transfer the mixture into a chilled air tight container or a loaf container. And refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

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.

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.

Scoop out the Ice cream, and serve with some caramel sauce and hazelnut praline drizzled on the top.