Gelato is an ice cream that Italy gave us.
Gelato is a light, creamy Italian soft ice cream made from natural milk and cream. Real gelato cannot be found on the shelves of supermarkets and stores, as it is made in special confectionery shops – gelaterias, where it is prepared by masters according to their own secret recipes.
Gelato traces its illustrious history back to 1565, when an inventive Florentine chef, Bernardo Buontalenti, invented the first ice cream maker. He shared his invention with the legendary Catherine de Medici, who later brought the innovation to France. The world's first specialized confectionery opened in Italy as early as 1800, and even Pope John Paul II ate ice cream there.
Making this wonderful dessert at home requires patience and desire, and the kitchen equipment required is an ice cream maker. The secret to gelato's exceptional softness lies in the complete absence of water and the meticulous kneading process. Its Italian origins also contribute to its incredibly rich flavor.
Lemon gelato ice cream
To make soft Italian ice cream, you will need:
- Chicken egg yolk - 6 pcs.
- Natural lemon juice - 260 ml
- Vanilla sugar - 1 packet
- Heavy cream - 1.5 cups
- Sugar - 310 g
- zest of 1 lemon
- cream 10-15% - 600 ml
Using a mixer, beat the heavy cream with the egg yolks. In a saucepan or large saucepan, combine the heavy cream with fresh lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, and grated lemon zest. Cook the mixture over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Pour half a glass of the warm mixture into the yolks and cream, mix well and pour everything into the pan in a thin stream, stirring so that the yolks do not cook.
Important! Italian gelato is mixed slowly and painstakingly. The mixture should be as smooth as possible, with minimal air bubbles. This will ensure the ice cream is dense, yet light and delicate, and most importantly, soft.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for half an hour to thoroughly chill the future Italian soft serve ice cream. After this, transfer everything to the bowl of your ice cream maker and turn on the gelato setting. If you don't have a gelato setting, make it as you would regular ice cream.
When the machine has finished cooking, remove the cold dessert and divide it into glasses, garnishing with mint leaves, citrus slices or sprinkled with chopped nuts.
The principle of preparing gelato is always the same, the only thing that can be changed is the flavorings.
