This Stracciatella Gelato might just be my new favorite gelato. Silky, smooth and refreshing!
Gelato in Italian literally means “frozen,” but it is used to indicate the Italian version of ice cream. The difference between ice cream and gelato is gelato has a higher proportion of milk and a lower proportion of cream and eggs resulting in less calories and fat and more flavor. Another difference is that gelato is churned at a slower speed than ice cream, which means less air is whipped into the mixture creating a dense, velvety texture. It is also typically stored at 15°F whereas ice cream is stored at 0°F. Because it’s not quite completely frozen, gelato tends to be softer and silkier.
Stracciatella Gelato
Ingredients
2 ½C Organic whole milk
1C Heavy Cream
2t Vanilla extract
¼C Sugar
1 Whole vanilla bean, split and seeded
¼C Good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
2T Cornstarch
1 Egg, yolk
Directions
Put 1 ½ cups of milk, cream and vanilla into a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat until bubbles appear around the edge of the saucepan and mixture is about to boil. Stir frequently and do not let it come to a boil.Meanwhile, put remaining milk, sugar, vanilla bean and cornstarch into a small bowl and stir until well combined. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in milk and sugar mixture. Return to heat and cook, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens slightly, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Put egg yolk into a small bowl and whisk until slightly thickened. Pour 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolk, whisking constantly then gradually add mixture back into the hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Stir until well combined. Set aside and let cool, stirring often. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Stir and churned at lowest setting in an ice cream maker.
Cibo E Famiglia 