Jolly Gelato!

As we continue into the heat of June (at least for our friends in the Northern Hemisphere!), why not stop off for a gelato in Italy?! You know the old saying: When at home, do as….the Romans do? This easy, breezy gelato recipe is sure to bring a taste of Italy into your home.

Did you know?: Gelato and ice cream both use the same ingredients – milk, cream, eggs, and sugar. Ice cream has more cream than milk…and gelato has more milk than cream! Gelato is also churned at a slower pace, so it has less air and is denser than ice cream. Cool!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS:

  • 1. In a medium saucepan, warm milk until foam forms around edge of saucepan and then remove from heat.
  • 2. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until frothy. Gradually pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture gels slightly and coats the back of the spoon. (Pro Tip: If small egg lumps begin to show, remove from heat immediately.)
  • 3. Pour the mixture through a sieve or fine strainer into a bowl. Cover, and chill for several hours or overnight. This is the cold custard base.
  • 4. After custard base is thoroughly chilled, begin to whip the heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form.
  • 5. Gently fold the cold custard base into the whipped cream until smooth. Avoid beating as it will deflate the whipped cream.
  • 6. Pour the gelato into a loaf pan or any freezer-safe container and place it in the freezer. After 30-60 minutes go in and whip it up to break up the ice crystals. Repeat this step roughly 2-3 times until gelato thickens up.
  • 7. Once gelato has thickened, leave it be in the freezer for another 4-5 hours or until frozen before scooping.
  • 8. Cover well and keep in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. If hard to scoop allow the gelato to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until it softens slightly.

Pro Tip: Try adding vanilla bean to the custard base before chilling to add a burst of flavour!