Chocolate, Hazelnut & Coconut Ice Cream

Check it out I made you a big bowl o' ice cream.

I even let my toes sneak into the picture for a giggle.

This particular ice cream was conceived as a bet, the kind made over a few beers at the pub, mingled in with conversation about whether or not it's considered grotesque to consume a tub of frozen cream a day.

(P.S. it's not if it's homemade)

I'd apparently promised ice cream before and had never brought it over, and so it started.

The Ice Cream Wars.

The battle to create the perfect ice cream.

This here, is exhibit A.

This ice cream was devoured after a long night of trivia at the Four in Hand. We discovered they weren't serving any dessert that night, straight after we discovered that we had come fifth last. Who bloody knows the seven nations in the world with the word 'and' in them anyway?

This ice cream made up for all that. And I didn't have to pay up the $10 bet money. Phew!

Back to The Ice Cream Wars, keep your eyes peeled for weird and wonderful flavour combo's as the weather heats up.

It's on.

(p.s I have put back up the followers gadget for a little while, apparently people were not able to follow without it, so get in quick!)

Chocolate, Hazelnut & Coconut Ice Cream:

A stovetop original recipe

1 x 180g block of good quality dark chocolate (I use Club)

250ml coconut milk

250ml thickened cream

100g brown sugar

100g hazelnuts, roasted, skins removed and roughly chopped

Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a simmering pot of water. When it has melted, remove from the heat and whisk in the coconut milk until smooth and combined. Cover the chocolate mixture and place in the fridge until completely cool (or in the freezer to speed up the process).

Once the chocolate mixture has cooled (but not hardened), remove it from the fridge. Whip the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Sift in brown sugar and stir to combine. Stir in chocolate mixture. Churn in an ice cream maker for 20 minutes or until firm. Transfer to a freezer-proof container, stir in the chopped hazelnuts and freeze for four hours.