If you have been craving for something cold and sweet and the ice cream store near your house is closed, don’t let that bother you. Simply get a few ingredients from the nearest supermarket and make your own gelato, it is quite easy to make, and it will be as delicious as anything you can buy at the store, if not more.
Classic Gelato
Ingredients
Milk – 2 cups
Heavy cream – 1 cup
Egg yolks – 4 large
Sugar – ½ cup
Method
Mix milk and cream in a medium saucepan. Once foam forms around the edges, remove from heat. In a separate bowl, beat the yolks and sugar until frothy. Gradually pour in the warm milk, make sure to keep whisking constantly. Transfer the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon, and cook until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Cover and chill overnight. Next day, put the mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Then transfer to a container, and freeze until firm.
Strawberry Gelato
Ingredients
Milk – 2 cups
Egg yolks – 4 large (room temperature)
Granulated sugar – 3/4 cup
Whipping cream – 1 cup
Salt – 3⁄4 tsp
Vanilla extract – 2 tsp
Strawberries – 1 1/4 cups (pureed)
Sugar – 1 tbsp
Method
Pour milk into a heavy-bottom saucepan. Let it come to a simmer over medium-low heat. In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until smooth. Temper the eggs by slowly pouring in some of the hot milk while whisking continuously. Pour this custard back into the saucepan and cook over low heat. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly. However, do not bring to a boil. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a bowl and let it cool down to room temperature. Keep stirring every 5 minutes or so. Add in salt and vanilla, and mix. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Next day, whip the cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Then gently fold the custard into the whipped cream. Stir together the pureed strawberries and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Then, add this to the gelato. Then pour out the mixture into a freezer-safe container. After an hour, whip it up again to break up the ice crystals. Do this roughly 2-3 times until it thickens up. Then freeze for about 4-5 hours before scooping and serving.
Chocolate Gelato
Ingredients
Chocolate – 200 gm
Sugar – ½ cup
Egg yolks – 5
Milk – 500 ml
Method
First melt the chocolate in a double boiler. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolk and sugar together. Then heat milk in a saucepan over low heat. Make sure to remove from heat just before it starts to boil. Add the milk to the yolk mixture, little by little. Keep mixing thoroughly. Return the mixture over heat, stirring occasionally. Once it boils, remove from heat. Next, add the melted chocolate and mix thoroughly. Transfer to a chilled metal container and freeze. Every 45 minutes, stir to break any ice lumps and put it back in the freezer. Do this 2 more times. After about seven hours of freezing, you can scoop and serve.
