Pastry Chef Heather Chittum of Dish and Notti Bianche – Washington, DC
Adapted by StarChefs.com
November 2006

Yield: 10 Servings

Ingredients:

Hazelnut Gelato:
• 1 quart whole milk
• 8 ounces granulated sugar
• 10 egg yolks
• 4 ounces hazelnut paste
  
  Bomboloni:
• 5 ounces warm water
• ½ ounce fresh yeast
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup warm whole milk
• ½ ounce fresh yeast
• 5 yolks
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• Nutella, as needed
• Sugar, for dusting
  
  Whipped Cream:
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 50 grams 10x, or powdered sugar
  
  Affogato al Caffé:
• Espresso, ten shots
• Hazelnut Gelato
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate shavings, for garnish

Method:

For the Hazelnut Gelato:
Heat the milk in a medium saucepan but do not boil. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until frothy. Temper the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the yolks coagulate. Add the hazelnut paste and stir to combine. Strain the mixture through a chinois and chill in an ice bath. Once cool, cover and transfer to refrigerator overnight. Churn in the ice cream machine and store in the freezer

For the Whipped Cream:
Put cream and sugar in bowl of a standing mixer. Whip on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer to piping bag fitted with a star tip.

For the Bomboloni:
In the bowl of a standing mixer dissolve yeast in the warm water. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cover entire bowl with plastic film and place in a warm spot to rise.
Meanwhile, combine the second measurement of flour, sugar and salt in a small bowl and set aside for later use. Once the dough rises, warm the milk in a microwave or on the stovetop. Place the second amount of yeast in another small bowl and pour the milk on top to dissolve; use a whisk to combine. Using the dough hook attachment, add the yeast and milk mixture to the dough. With the mixer running add the yolks and the melted butter. Let the mixture combine and then add the bowl of dry ingredients in two additions. Let the dough knead for about 3 minutes. The dough should be shiny and pull away slightly from the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the dough to a container sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Cover and place in refrigerator to proof. Once the dough rises punch it down. Let the dough rise again and punch one additional time. Let the dough rest for at least 8 hours or overnight.

The next day preheat fryer to 325°F. Before rolling out the dough, spray a sheet tray with unflavored cooking spray and set aside. Roll the dough out on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin to a ½ inch-thickness. Using a small round cookie-cutter, cut the dough and transfer the pieces to a sheet tray. Lightly spray the Bombolini with cooking spray and place a piece of plastic film loosely on top. Let the Bombolini rise again in a warm spot and then fry in batches of ten to light golden brown. Remove from fryer and transfer to a sheet tray lined with paper towels. Set aside to cool.

Once the Bombolini are cool, fill a small-tipped piping bag with Nutella and fill. Return to fryer set at 325°F for approximately 30 seconds to warm. Begin assembling the Affogato al Caffé as you warm the Bombolini. When the Bombolini come out of the fryer roll them in a bowl lined with paper towels to remove excess oil then roll them in a second bowl half-full of sugar. When coated in sugar, remove and serve immediately.

For the Affogato al Caffé:
Brew 10 shots of espresso. In ten small ramekins, place a scoop of Hazelnut Gelato and pour one shot of espresso on top of each one. Pipe a small amount of whipped cream on top and garnish with chocolate shavings. Serve with warm Bombolini.