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Vanilla Gelato
Vanilla gelato is a creamy dessert, served frozen and cold. Gelato is similar to ice cream and the gelato has a subtle and delicate taste of vanilla.
history
Gelato is credited to the famous painter, architect, and engineer, Bernando Buontalenti. In the 16th century, Buontalenti combined milk and eggs together to create the basis of gelato. As time developed, more and more flavours advanced, including a favourite, vanilla.
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reflection
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My family and I enjoyed the vanilla gelato as it is a favourite in our household. This dessert turned out extremely well, and I got the results I wanted; a simple and subtle flavoured vanilla gelato. The texture of the ice cream was spot on, and because of the relatively plain flavour, it went very well with the chocolate gelato. I didn't run into any problems while making the dish, but it was hard work in terms of having to mix it every 30 minutes for 5 hours, as I didn’t have a gelato maker with me. Next time, I would add a bit less of the heavy cream, as that sometimes took advantage of the vanilla flavour. This recipe made multiple servings, and it easily stores in the freezer, without affecting the texture of the desert.
This is why my family rate the vanilla gelato from Italy a 7/10.
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Vanilla gelato recipe
serves: 8 hands on time: 20 mins freezing time : 5 hours
Ingredients
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4 medium yolks
150 g granulated sugar
350 ml of whole milk
250 ml of heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
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Whip the egg yolks and the sugar at maximum speed for 5 minutes, or until you have a soft fluffy cream.
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Meanwhile, pour the milk into a medium saucepan and bring it almost to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes.
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Transfer the egg and sugar mixture to a saucepan. Pour the hot milk into this slowly making sure to mix. Add the vanilla extract and mix.
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Put the mixture back on the heat and cook for another 5 minutes, making sure to always stir and making sure that the mixture does NOT boil.
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Turn off the heat and add the cold heavy cream. Mix really well.
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Transfer to a gelato container
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Place the mixture in the freezer for about 5 hours. Every 30 minutes, remove the mixture from the freezer, and mix it with a whisk and put it back into the freezer.
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Serve the gelato in a bowl and enjoy!