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Hazelnut Sorbet

17/11/2023

Hazelnut sorbet is a delicious and refreshing dessert. Let me show you how to prepare a homemade version of this sorbet:

Ingredients

  • 200 g of toasted hazelnuts
  • 200 ml of water
  • 150 g of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of glucose syrup (or honey for a more natural alternative)
  • A pinch of salt

Preparation

  1. Start by toasting the hazelnuts in the oven at 180 °C for about 10-12 minutes or until they become golden and aromatic. This step is important to enhance the flavor of the hazelnuts.
  2. Once toasted, let them cool down and remove most of the dark skin by rubbing them between your hands or in a kitchen towel.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small pot, heat the water with the sugar and glucose syrup (or honey) until the sugar has completely dissolved. This mixture is your base syrup.
  4. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
  5. Put the hazelnuts in a blender and grind until you get a smooth paste. You can add some syrup if necessary to facilitate the process.
  6. Combine the hazelnut paste with the cooled syrup and blend together to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
  7. Add a pinch of salt and mix well.
  8. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and follow the machine’s instructions to churn the sorbet. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container and place it in the freezer. Stir every 30-40 minutes to break the ice crystals until the sorbet reaches the desired consistency.
  9. When the sorbet is ready, let it rest in the freezer for at least 1 hour before serving.

Fun Facts

Hazelnut sorbet is a delicious variation that deviates from the more common fruit sorbets. Hazelnuts are highly appreciated in Italian cuisine, especially in Piedmont, where they are the main ingredient in many sweet recipes, including the famous gianduja paste.

If you can’t find toasted hazelnuts, you can also use already peeled hazelnuts, toasting them the same to enhance their flavor. Enjoy your hazelnut sorbet!