GELATO MASTERCLASS: Make the best Italian ice cream AT HOME!

Hi everyone, I'm Marie. I'm a food writer, recipe developer and unconditional sweets lover. If you've ever been to Italy or dreamed of traveling there, chances are you've heard of gelato, the delightful icy treat made famous by a certain movie. But what is gelato exactly? Is it just a fancy name for ice cream? Before I myself went to Italy for the first time many years ago, I had heard all about the awesomeness of gelato. Everyone who had tasted it seemed possessed by the memory of its taste, its creaminess and intense flavor. No one seemed to know exactly what it was. Was it ice cream or sorbet or something else? But what they knew is that it was heavenly. Of course, when I had my first spoonful of gelato in Rome, I fell in love with it. The taste of gelato is very intense and pure, the colors are vivid and the texture is very clean. I came back from Italy excited to find out what it is, how it's made and what makes it so delightful. So how do you make it at home? In this class, I will explain what exactly makes gelato different from ice cream. I will give you my pro tips to make and serve outstanding gelato. I will show you how to make a versatile gelato base you can turn into a variety of flavors from vanilla bean to blueberry to pistachio and many many more. I will even show you how to make a dairy-free vegan gelato, a tasty variation everyone will love whether they need to abide by a special diet or not. In short, this class will probably save you a trip to Rome. You can thank me later. So what is gelato and how is it different from ice cream? Well, gelato differs from ice cream in three different ways. First, gelato contains less fat than ice cream. That's good news, right? Ice cream's main ingredient is cream, whereas gelato is made mainly from milk. Some gelato recipes use a small quantity of cream and some use only milk. Gelato also uses less egg yolks than does regular custard-based ice cream, although that depends on the recipe and there are probably just as many recipes of gelato as there are Italians in Italy. What happens with ice cream is that the fat coats the tongue in a lovely silky way, but it also tends to mute flavors. The gelato's lower fat content could explain why people tend to find its taste brighter and more intense. The second thing that makes gelato different from ice cream is that it has a denser texture. Gelato is churned at a lower speed than regular ice cream, which means that the finished product contains less air than ice cream. That's what creates the lovely denser texture of gelato. Finally, gelato is served at a warmer temperature than ice cream. Storing gelato at a warmer temperature makes it softer, providing its signature silky texture. Ice-cold treats tend to numb the tongue, but because gelato is served soft, you feel like you're having a richer treat than what its fat content indicates. The warmer serving temperature also allows the flavor to come through better. So I'm sure many of you are wondering, do you really need an ice cream maker to make gelato? The short answer is yes. If you want to achieve the silky smooth creamy texture of gelato, you really do need an ice cream maker. The ice cream maker freezes the custard very slowly while stirring it continuously, and this is what creates the super fine texture free of ice crystals or harder chunks. The one I use is a basic Cuisinart two-part ice cream maker. I've had it for years. It's reliable, easy to clean, and it's not too expensive. You can find it online these days for about $70. The way it works is that you need to keep the bowl of the ice cream maker in the freezer, and when you're ready to turn the ice cream, you put it into the machine, pour the custard in, and turn the machine on. It's super basic, so it doesn't have a timer or any other setting than the off-on switch. So you do need to keep an eye on the gelato to decide when it's ready to be transferred to its storage container and put into the freezer. It usually takes between 20 and 25 minutes, so I simply set myself a timer and come back to it once it's done. The downside of this type of ice cream maker is that the bowl can only be used to turn one batch of gelato or ice cream. Then you need to clean the bowl and put it back into the freezer for several hours before you can use it again. This is usually fine for household use, but if you need to turn more than one batch in a day, you can purchase additional bowls like this for about $30 each. If you're a big-time gelato lover, or if you need to make several batches of gelato, you might want to invest in an ice cream maker equipped with a built-in compressor. Those appliances are very handy because you simply plug them in and turn. No need to freeze a bowl beforehand. They're a lot more expensive though. Basic models start at around $400, so you need to carefully evaluate your needs before indulging. Some companies now offer specialty appliances labeled as gelato makers, but they are basically identical to ice cream makers with additional settings that allow you to churn at lower speeds. This Cuisinart gelato ice cream maker actually has a newer model that has three speed settings, one for ice cream, one for gelato, and I think the other one is for sorbet. It's a little bit more expensive than this one. It's about $125 or something like that. But you should know that all home ice cream makers on the market churn at a much lower speed than commercial ice cream makers, which make them perfectly suited for making gelato. Let me give you four handy tips that will help you make and serve outstanding gelato. First, let the custard cool completely before churning. This is essential to avoid ice crystals from forming and create the best and silkiest texture. Once your gelato base is done, you can speed up the cooling process by setting the saucepan into an ice bath or by placing it in the fridge. But what I find the easiest way to make sure my gelato base is truly cold before I churn it is to prepare it in advance. I often make it the night before and churn it the next day. My second pro tip is to use a Sicilian style gelato base. This is the one I will be demonstrating in this class. This variety of gelato uses less eggs and a little bit of cornstarch to thicken the cream, which makes for a really lovely silky texture. It's also much easier to make than the regular egg yolk base because you don't need to deal with temperamental egg yolks that can curdle and cook and make your custard grainy if you heat them too quickly. Both the egg yolk base custard and the Sicilian style gelato base are just as versatile. If you're not afraid of making custards, by all means go ahead and go the traditional route. You'll find a recipe for a classic egg yolk gelato base in the class notes. But if you want to make your gelato life a little easier, I strongly recommend using a Sicilian style gelato base. My third pro tip is about service. Remember I told you that gelato was stored at a warmer temperature than regular ice cream? You can replicate those conditions by bringing the gelato back to room temperature 15 minutes before service. Doing so will soften it just so that it's easier to spoon and so much better to eat. My final pro tip is dress it up. Be creative when it comes to serving gelato. You can make a simple vanilla bean gelato even better by serving it with fresh fruits, a coulis, cookie crumbs or even brownie chunks sprinkled over. Later in the class I will provide a few ideas to get you started. The first recipe we're going to make is the Sicilian style gelato base. You'll use this base as a foundation to create countless gelati flavors. In this class we'll make three different gelati using this base. The first one is a blueberry gelato which is an example of any fruit based gelato. And then we're going to make the chocolate gelato and a pistachio gelato. You'll find many more recipes in the class notes. Here are the ingredients you need to make the Sicilian style gelato base. You need two and a quarter cups of whole milk, three quarter cups of heavy cream or 35% fat content cream, three quarter cups of granulated sugar, two tablespoons of cornstarch and one egg yolk. Making this base is super simple. The first thing you need to do is to heat up a cup and a quarter of the milk and the heavy cream together. Just pour them in a medium saucepan over medium heat and what you want is to bring the milk and cream mixture just hot enough that it forms little bubbles around the edge of the pan but don't bring it to a boil. While the milk is heating up we're going to combine the rest of the milk, the sugar and the cornstarch together. Just whisk it until the cornstarch is completely incorporated into the milk. When the milk and cream mixture is hot slowly add the cornstarch mixture into it and whisk constantly to incorporate. Make sure all the sugar goes into the pan as well because it may not have diluted completely into the milk. You want all that sweet sweetness into the gelato. So you stir constantly. You can lower the heat a little bit and you're going to simmer that mixture stirring constantly for about six to eight minutes or until it's thickened. When you can feel that the mixture has thickened somewhat like heavy cream, like it seems heavy and luscious and it coats the spoon, you can turn off the heat and now what you need to do is to slowly heat the egg yolk by adding a little bit of the hot cream into it. First you're going to whisk it until the egg is well combined and looks a little paler than its usual yellow. When it does you can put it aside and you're going to add just a little bit of the hot cream very slowly while whisking the egg. What you want is to slowly heat the egg yolk without cooking it. You don't want it to curdle or form scrambled eggs. So add more of the hot milk mixture. When you see that the egg seems really warm and the cream is well incorporated, transfer the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Mix well to incorporate the egg yolk and you can even whisk a little bit if you want to make sure there are no lumps and the egg yolk is going to cook in the residual heat. The base is done. If you wanted to make a vanilla bean gelato you would add a half vanilla bean to the mixture at this point so the beans, the seeds from the vanilla bean seep into the milk and infuse it with the flavor while it cools. But today we're going to make a fruit-based gelato so we're not going to use the vanilla. So what you need now is to let the base cool completely before you churn it or add any other ingredients to it such as nuts or fruits. To speed up the cooling process you can place the saucepan into an ice bath and stir the base from time to time or you can put the whole saucepan into the fridge until it's completely cool. What I usually do is to transfer the base into an airtight container like this, cover it up and then place it in the fridge until it's completely cool. Now I want to show you how to make a fruit gelato. What you basically need to turn the base we made earlier into a fruit gelato is two cups of fruit puree. You're going to add that to the gelato base and churn both together. You can use whatever fruit you want. Today I'm going to use blueberry which I'm going to sweeten with maple syrup. The process to make fruit puree is very similar from one fruit to the next with the difference of the sugar quantity that you need to use and whether you need to strain the mixture or not. I've included instructions to make many variations of fruit gelato in the class notes. To make the blueberry puree you need three cups of fresh or frozen blueberries, a quarter cup of maple syrup or you can use sugar or honey and two tablespoons of lemon juice. Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Once the mixture simmers turn the heat down and let the fruit simmer for 10 minutes until the fruits have broken down a little and the syrup has thickened. When the fruit mixture is done cooking transfer it to an airtight container and let cool completely to room temperature or place it in the fridge until it's completely cold. When the blueberry compote is completely cool you will need to blend it to turn it into a smooth puree. You don't need to strain blueberries but you might need to strain other fruit varieties. In the class notes I've provided recipes to make several varieties of fruit purees you can use in gelato. When the puree is super smooth mix it into the cold gelato base and transfer the mixture into the ice cream machine to churn. Now I want to show you how to make pistachio gelato. I know pistachio is one of the most popular gelato flavors and so the reason I wanted to make it in this class is to show you how to make your own pistachio paste to use in the gelato. Pistachio is unfortunately the most counterfeited gelato flavor and the reason is that pistachio nuts are very expensive. Many gelato makers will take shortcuts and use artificial pistachio flavorings instead of the real thing but when you've tasted authentic pistachio gelato you can really tell the difference. I still dream of the one I had in Sicily last year. So to make outstanding pistachio gelato you need pistachio paste. You can buy it ready-made but it's not easy to find and it's kind of expensive. Alternatively you can buy your nuts in bulk and make some at home. Here's what you need a cup and a half of shelled unsalted pistachio nuts, two-thirds of a cup of sugar, and a half cup of whole milk. First you're going to bring a small pot of water to a boil and simmer the pistachio nuts for two minutes. This is going to blanch the nuts and make them easier to peel and grind later on. After two minutes drain and rinse the nuts under cold water to cool them completely. Dry the nuts with paper towels. If the nuts still have their skin on you'll have to be very patient and peel them because using the nuts with the skin on will change both the color and texture of the gelato. To peel the pistachio simply pinch it between your fingers and the skin should come right off. This is quite the time-consuming task but believe me the result is well worth the effort. Note that you can also buy shelled pistachio nuts that have already been peeled so if you can find those it's going to save you a lot of time. To make the paste put the nuts in the bowl of a food processor then add the sugar. Pulse until the nuts are finely ground stopping from time to time to scrape down the bowl. Add the whole milk and process until the mixture is as smooth and creamy as the food processor will make it. Some tiny pistachio bits will remain but that's okay. Whisk the pistachio base into the gelato base. You can add a teaspoon of pistachio or almond extract at this stage but it's completely optional. Transfer the pistachio mixture into the bowl of the ice cream machine then churn for 20 to 25 minutes. Now let's make dark chocolate gelato. The process to make this gelato is very similar to the Sicilian style gelato base except for the fact that we'll skip the egg yolk because the cocoa powder acts both as a flavor and as a thickening agent and the addition of the melted chocolate provides a delicious creamy texture. To make dark chocolate gelato you need two and a quarter cups of whole milk, three quarter cups of heavy cream that's 35% fat content cream, three quarter cups of granulated sugar, two tablespoons of cornstarch, a half cup of dark cocoa powder sifted and four ounces of bittersweet chocolate chopped. The note about the chocolate that the best quality you use the better your gelato is going to be. And finally optionally you can add two tablespoons of coffee flavored liquor. This is going to give a little kick of flavor to the gelato and also helps it stay smoother and more spoonable once it's frozen. To make dark chocolate gelato in a medium saucepan whisk together one and a quarter cups of the milk, the cream, the sugar, the cornstarch and the cocoa powder. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil while whisking constantly. When it boils lower the heat to the minimum and simmer for about five to six minutes until the mixture is thick and creamy. Remove from the heat, add the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Mix in the coffee liquor if using and finally whisk in the remaining milk. Let the mixture cool completely then transfer to the ice cream machine and churn for about 20 minutes. When the gelato is frozen but still soft transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least two hours before serving. The last recipe I wanted to show you how to make today is how to make a dairy-free and vegan gelato base. It's delicious and extremely easy to make. The central ingredient to this gelato base is coconut cream. For the best taste you need to use best quality full fat coconut cream. It's not always easy to figure out the difference between canned coconut cream and milk but what I recommend is to look for coconut milk or cream that contains at least 60% coconut extract. You'll find this information on the ingredients label. If the percentage is not indicated it's usually because the coconut extract content is lower than 60%. This dairy-free vegan gelato base is very versatile but as you probably know coconut milk has a smooth but very specific taste so I find it marries best to bold flavors such as chocolate or fruits. Today I will be making passion fruit and mango gelato. The ratios to make dairy-free vegan gelato base are similar to the regular variation. You need 3 cups of cream and 2 cups of fruit puree. Here I'm going to be combining 1 cup of passion fruit puree and 1 cup of mango puree. You'll find the instructions to make these purees in the class notes. We'll also use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch just like we did in the Sicilian style gelato base to give the gelato a deliciously silky texture. To make the dairy-free vegan gelato base pour the coconut milk or cream in a medium saucepan then whisk in the cornstarch. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower the heat and let it cook stirring constantly for 6 to 8 minutes or until you can feel the mixture has thickened. When the cream is cooked you need to cool it completely before adding in the fruit mixture. To speed up the cooling process you can place the saucepan in an ice bath for about 10 minutes stirring from time to time or transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When the coconut cream is cool whisk in the passion fruit and mango puree. Transfer to the bowl of the ice cream machine and churn for about 20 minutes. When it's done transfer the gelato to a freezer-friendly container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. So you've made beautiful, creamy, delicious gelato. Should you just scoop it in a bowl and eat it? Of course you can but you could also get creative and dress up your gelato to make it even more special. I've got a few keywords to inspire you. Sprinkle, drizzle and spoon. First, sprinkle. One of the easiest ways to turn homemade gelato into an elegant dessert is to sprinkle it with fresh fruit. Serve the fresh version of the fruit you used in the gelato to underline its taste or choose fruits with complementary flavor. For example, fresh strawberries are just perfect with my vegan mango and passion fruit gelato. Gelato is also great when you complement it with a crunch. Sprinkling fresh nuts, candied nuts, crushed cookies, baked crumbs or toasted unsweetened coconut over gelato is a sure way to make it exciting. Kids especially love that. Second, think about what you can drizzle over gelato. Vanilla bean gelato is nothing short of life-changing if you serve it drizzled with a fruity olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Balsamic vinegar syrup really makes strawberry gelato pop and maple syrup literally makes any gelato irresistible. Third, consider spooning preserves or any sweet condiment over gelato. For example, I love to serve pistachio gelato with a generous dollop of homemade lemon curd. It's such a great combination of flavors. Raspberry or strawberry preserves are also amazing over dark chocolate gelato. And to up the indulgence level, why not top it off with a dollop of whipped cream? Finally, I wanted to share one of my favorite summer treats, the Affogato. The Affogato is a coffee-based Italian dessert consisting of a scoop of vanilla bean gelato topped with a shot of espresso. It's so simple but I guarantee you'll impress your guests with this one. If you feel festive, you can even add a shot of liquor to the mix such as amaretto or coffee liquor. Feel free to use dark chocolate gelato, maple gelato, or even coffee gelato to make Affogato. I'm pretty sure you can't go wrong. In other words, when it comes to serving gelato, let your creativity guide you and you'll be on your way to a memorable dessert. I'm sure you've understood by now that gelato is much more than a simple scoop of frozen custard. I just love how versatile it is and the fact that it's a leaner treat by definition only makes it better. I hope my class will inspire you to create your own frozen treats. You'll find the links to all the recipes I've made in this class and many more in the class notes along with bonus recipes I mentioned in the How to Serve Gelato lesson. Let's get your gelato game started! Make sure to come back to this class to share photos of your creations. I can't wait to see what you'll turn up!