Author Notes
Gelato is Italian ice cream. It is lighter than American ice cream because it is made with more milk than cream. Ironically, the cream that we so love numbs flavors. With less of it, gelato bursts with flavor. My neighborhood gelato store is always packed with people. As much as I like it, my homemade gelato is better. I made this batch with raspberries and a drizzle of Kirsch, cherry brandy. To serve, I sprinkled roasted and salted chopped pistachios which adds a welcome salty to the sweet. - Waverly
—Waverly
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe is a great lesson not only in "how" to make a gelato, but also "why" to make a gelato. Waverly guides us clearly and thoughtfully through the birth of a gelato that is just going to burst out with flavor. She explains that too much cream can numb flavor. In contrast, the milk in a gelato lets the flavors sing and shine. In this recipe eggs are tempered into a strained, fresh fruit puree with an accent of kirsch to make everything come alive. The crowning touch of crunchy, salted pistachios is a perfect contrast in taste, color, and texture of this silky smooth gelato. After freezing solid, just make sure you let this sit out long enough so it softens up. Each luscious spoonful leaves a lovely, lingering fragrance. Thank you Waverly for this great recipe. - Sagegreen —Sagegreen
Ingredients
-
2 1/4 cups
whole milk
-
1 cup
cream
-
1
vanilla bean, sliced in half, lengthwise or 3 tsps vanilla extract
-
pinch of kosher salt
-
3/4 cup
sugar
-
5
large eggs, yolks only
-
12 ounces
ripe or overripe raspberries
-
3 tablespoons
Turbinado sugar
-
2 tablespoons
Kirsch
-
1/3 cup
coarsely chopped roasted and salted pistchios
Directions
-
HEAT MILK, CREAM AND VANILLA: In a large saucepan, combine milk, cream, vanilla bean halves or vanilla extract, and salt. Over MEDIUM heat, bring to a low simmer and then immediately remove from heat. DO NOT BOIL. Scoop out the vanilla bean halves. Scrape out the seeds and put them back into the milk. Discard the shell.
-
PREP EGG MIXTURE: In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar until mixture thickens and turns a pale yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running on LOW speed, slowly add 1 cup of the warm milk mixture and blend until combined.
-
ADD EGG MIXTURE TO MILK MIXTURE: Add the egg mixture to the rest of the pan of warm milk. Over MEDIUM LOW heat, stir the mixture constantly until thickened to the point where it coats the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Again, DO NOT BOIL.
-
CHILL: Refrigerate the mixture until chilled, at least 6-8 hours, but up to 48 hours.
-
MAKE RASPBERRY PUREE: When mixture is chilled, you can make the puree. In a blender, combine raspberries with turbinado sugar and kirsch. Puree. Pour pureed mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the chilled gelato mixture. Discard solids left in the sieve. Stir to combine.
-
CHURN: Using the manufacturer's instructions, churn the gelato. The consistency should look like very thick custard or mousse. Place gelato in the freezer until it looks solid, 2 hours or more. Packed in a covered container, it will keep in the freezer for about 2 weeks.
-
SERVE: To serve, scoop gelato into cones or bowls. Top with chopped pistachios.
Waverly used to be a lawyer and is now a mother 24/7. She has made a commitment to cooking for her family and absolutely loves it even when her family does not. She is teaching them, one meal at a time, to enjoy wholesome homemade food. She abhors processed food but recognizes its insidious nature and accepts the fact that her children will occasionally get some Skittles, Doritos, or the like. Her philosophy and hope is that if she teaches them well at home, they will prefer wholesome healthy foods when they go out into the world without her.
See what other Food52ers are saying.