MORE GELATO!

LAST YEAR (October 6th to be exact), I wrote about Gelato. Since then, I've made quite a lot of the stuff, especially during these scorching and very long hot days of summer. I know that I've been extremely lazy where writing in this blog is concerned, but truth be told, I've been battling some pretty health issues where sitting at a computer and typing prevented me from writing. Be that as it may, now that I'm back, I'd like to voice some other thoughts on gelato, something which, as I mentioned previously, has become almost second nature to me. It is the season to write about such things especially since mercury has been above 90 since just about forever! Ironically, the weather today is holding gloriously at a mere 75º F. with a balmy breeze. It is also the first day I've been able to turn the air conditioner off since May. It must be September. Take that Consolidated Edison!

I've been experimenting quite a bit with new flavors and new ways of getting the consistency I want (one that is just frozen and yet malleable with the ice cream scoop). The basic premise is the same:

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered skim milk

3 tbs. light corn syrup

whisked together and heated to 180º.

While heating the milk, take 
1 tsp. powdered gelatin
and bloom it in a very little bit of cold water

Remove from the stove to cool.
Once the milk has cooled, add:

1 cup heavy cream

1 tbs. vanilla extract

and whatever flavor you wish to make your gelato.

Once you have chilled this mixture for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight) you can make the gelato in an electric ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. 

Pictured above, is a small dish of Cannoli Gelato; a flavor I've been dreaming about making for quite a while now. I experimented last year with ricotta and fig and honey, even goat cheese and ricotta but it never came close to what I had envisioned as a truly original gelato. 

This recent experiment proved to be exceptional in every way. The delicacy of home made ricotta mixed with powdered sugar and candied fruit added to simple gelato base was more than I had ever expected. Not to gild the lily, oh well, yes, to gild the lily, I added pistachio marmalade.

For a completely singular and absolutely gorgeous gelato, all you need do is add the following mixture to your gelato base   before refrigeration and churn away!

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. orange extract

1 handful of chopped candied cherries and citron

2 tsp. minced candied orange or lemon peel

1/2 cup pistachio marmalade (recipe to follow)

Place ricotta, sugar, vanilla and orange extracts in the canister of a food processor and blend until very smooth. Remove from canister and place in mixing bowl and fold in fruits and pistachio marmalade. Stir into gelato base until completely blended (no lumps) and refrigerate overnight.

Pistachio Marmalade

1 cup shelled pistachios

Pour boiling water onto the pistachios and let sit for about 3 or 4 minutes. Drain and place on a clean, dry dish towel and rub them around until the skins come off. Let the nuts dry for several hours or overnight. Place the green nuts in a spice grinder and grind with 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar for about 1 minute until you have a fine powder.

Bring 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, add the pistachio powder and cook until the liquid becomes a very thick paste (or marmalade). 

This should yield about 1 cup of marmalade. Add half the mixture to the gelato mixture when adding the other fruit. You can reserve the remaining pistachio marmalade for another use, cannoli of course! The marmalade will keep in the fridge for about 2-3 weeks.