Chocolate Hazelnut Bombe  


Ingredients:
1½ cups (½ lb) hazelnuts
Peel of ½ lemon, cut into thin long strips (yellow part only)
4 cups half and half cream
2 cups whipping cream
12 large egg yolks
1½ cups sugar
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, grated
1 vanilla bean, 6-7 inch split lengthwise
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
½ cup strong hot coffee
 

Directions:
Spread hazelnuts in a 10x15 inch baking pan. Place in a 350°F oven and toast nuts until browned under skins, 15-20 minutes, shaking pan every once in a while. Pour nuts onto a towel and rub briskly to remove skins; separate nuts. In a 5 quart pan, combine half and half, whipping cream, sugar, vanilla bean, and lemon peel. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is hot.
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks, then gradually whisk in 2 cups of the hot cream mixture. Stirring constantly, pour egg mixture back into pan. Cook, stirring, until mixture coats the back of a metal spoon in a thin even layer, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat at once, let stand until slightly cooled, then cover and chill as long as overnight.
Pour egg mixture through a fine strainer into a bowl. Rinse vanilla bean and let dry for later reuse; discard lemon peel. In a bowl, combine chocolate and cocoa. Add hot coffee and stir until chocolate melts and mixture forms a smooth paste. With a whisk, gradually blend chocolate mixture and half of the chilled cream mixture. Pour into a 2 quart ice-and-salt or self refrigerated ice cream maker; to freeze, follow manufacturer's directions. Meanwhile, place a 10 cup metal bowl in the freezer. When the chocolate ice cream is firm, quickly spread it over the inside of the bowl to make an even layer. Return to the freezer.
Whirl hazelnuts, a handful at a time, in a blender until they form a smooth paste. With whisk, mix nut paste smoothly into the remaining cream mixture. Rinse and dry container of ice cream maker; add the nut mixture and freeze. Spoon frozen nut mixture into center of chocolate-lined bowl; work quickly and pack in evenly. Cover and freeze until hard, at least 6 hours or longer.
To unmold, immerse bowl just to rim in very hot tap water until edges begin to melt slightly. Working quickly, lift bowl from water and, with your hand, twist the frozen mixture to rotate and help loosen the suction that holds bombe in place. Invert bowl on a flat chilled plate to release ice cream; if it doesn't come out of the bowl, repeat process. With spatula, smooth surface of unmolded ice cream and return to freezer to firm surface, about 30 minutes. At this point you can wrap the dessert airtight and freeze it as long as two weeks.
To serve, let ice cream stand at room temperature to soften slightly, 15-30 minutes. Using a thin sharp knife dipped frequently in hot water, cut ice cream into wedges.
Makes 14 to 16 servings.