Italian Gelato

At first glance, gelato and French ice cream (crème glacée) may seem similar, but they offer distinct textures, flavors, and culinary traditions. Gelato, Italy’s beloved frozen dessert, is churned slower and contains less butterfat (typically 4-9%) than French ice cream, resulting in a denser, silkier texture. It’s served slightly warmer, allowing its vibrant flavors—like pistachio, stracciatella, or fresh fruit—to shine. French ice cream, on the other hand, is richer and creamier. This decadence comes from its custard base, which includes egg yolks, giving it a velvety smoothness. Classics like vanilla bean or chocolate are staples, often served in elegant quenelle or as part of sophisticated desserts. While gelato emphasizes purity and intensity of flavor, French ice cream luxuriates in its indulgent, creamy mouthfeel. Which one wins? It all depends on whether you crave the bold freshness of gelato or the sumptuous richness de la glace Française. This gelato recipe is courtesy of Chef Mario Bacherini

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Italy’s beloved frozen dessert

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Vanilla Gelato

For vanilla flavored gelato, infused a couple of opened vanilla beans (seeds and pods) in the cold milk and heavy cream a day before. Drain, save the pods and proceed as explained below.

Coffee Gelato

In the saucepan, bring to a quick boil: the milk, heavy cream and coffee beans. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid – let cool, and let it infuse in the refrigerator overnight. Drain liquid and discard solids. Rescale the liquid, and add more heavy cream to compensate the loss of moisture absorbed by the coffee beans. Proceed as directed below.

Liquid Glucose vs Dried

*While liquid glucose (corn syrup) is commonly used in confectionery, beverages, and baking for its moisture-retaining properties. Dried glucose or dextrose, being a powder, offers easier handling, longer shelf life. The primary difference between liquid glucose and dried glucose (DE 42) lies in their moisture content. Indicating similar sugar composition and sweetness, dried glucose syrup has undergone further processing to remove most of its water, leaving only 7% or less moisture. It resists crystallization significantly better than sugar/sucrose or higher DE glucose.

Before You Start

Freeze the bowl and containers you'll be using to cool and then store the churned ice cream. Scale out all the ingredients needed in deli containers or serving bowls.

Gelato Making Process

Mix all dry ingredients together: Sugar, dry milk, dextrose, stabilizer and salt.
Heat milk and heavy cream at 104ºF/40ºC. Add dry ingredients and mix with the immersion blender.
Cook to 185ºF/85ºC, stirring constantly with the rubber spatula.
Pass gelato mixture through a sieve over the frozen bowl. Cool on a ice bath. Place the gelato in the refrigerator to mature for at least 4 hours, or 24hrs max.

Steps To Churn Gelato

If using a freezer-bowl model, freeze the bowl for at least 24 hours (or as directed). For compressor or pre-frozen models, ensure the machine is ready according to the manual. Turn on the machine before adding the mixture (if required by your model).
Pour the chilled base into the churner, filling no more than ⅔ full to allow expansion. So, for a 2 litter bowl, churn 1.5 litter of ice-cream or sorbet max.
Churn for 30-40 minutes.
Immediately, transfer gelato to the frozen container. Cover the ice cream in contact with a piece of freezer bag (avoid plastic wrap), and freeze 5 hours before serving.

Storage

Gelato can be kept frozen for up to 6 months. Timeframe assumes consistent freezing at recommended temperatures (typically -18°C/0°F or below).

How To Serve Gelato

Take the gelato from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes. This allows it to soften slightly for easier scooping. Choose either waffle cones or cups for serving. Use an ice cream scoop to portion the softened gelato into the cones or cups. Buon appetito!