Molto Gusto_ Easy Italian Cooking - Mario Batali [43]
Freeze the gelato in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pack into a freezer container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. (The gelato is best served the day it is made.)
Milk Chocolate Chip Gelato
MAKES ABOUT 1½ QUARTS
We make our own chocolate ganache chips for this gelato. Their melt-in-your-mouth texture is superior to that of chopped chocolate, though you can use that option if you so desire.
MAKES ABOUT 1½ QUARTS
8 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped
¾ cup heavy cream
½ cup corn syrup
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3½ cups milk
8 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Ganache Chips (recipe follows) or 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into bits
Put the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Combine the cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir gently until it is completely melted. Set aside.
Stir ½ cup of the sugar and the cocoa powder together in a small bowl. Pour the milk into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the sugar mixture, and bring just to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and cocoa.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, the remaining ¼ cup sugar, and the salt together in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in about 1 cup of the hot milk until smooth, then return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula or a wooden spoon, until the custard registers 185°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Immediately remove the custard from the heat and stir in the melted chocolate mixture, making sure the chocolate is completely incorporated. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into another heatproof bowl and chill over an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until cold. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or, preferably, overnight.
Freeze the gelato in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a bowl and freeze for 1 hour.
Stir the chocolate ganache chips (or chopped chocolate) into the ice cream. Pack into a freezer container and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving. (The gelato is best served the day it is made.)
CHOCOLATE GANACHE CHIPS
MAKES ABOUT 2½ CUPS
½ cup heavy cream
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Combine the cream and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl, set it over a saucepan of gently simmering water, and heat, stirring occasionally with a heatproof spatula, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat.
Line a small baking sheet or baking pan with parchment paper. Spread the melted chocolate evenly in a ¼-inch-thick layer on the pan. Freeze for 1 hour, or until hard.
Remove the pan from the freezer and, working quickly, chop the ganache into small irregular pieces about ¼ inch in size. Return the chips, still on the pan, to the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes before using. (The ganache chips can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
Hazelnut Stracciatella Gelato
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
The secret to the deep hazelnut flavor of this gelato is slow-roasting the nuts until they are a dark golden brown and deliciously aromatic.
2 cups (about 9 ounces) unblanched hazelnuts
3 cups milk, plus more as needed
1¼ cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
10 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until their skins are very dark brown and the nuts are deep golden brown (be brave!—toasting the hazelnuts to a deep brown is what gives this gelato its intense flavor).
Just before the nuts are done, bring the milk just to a simmer in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Remove the nuts from the oven and grind them to a powder in a food processor while they are still hot; be careful not to grind them