Recipe: Strawberry Gelato

Last Updated on September 19, 2020 by Ellen Christian

Strawberry Gelato

Plain base (below) with sugar reduced to 1/2 cup

1 pound strawberries – about 1 quart – hulled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Make the plain base and chill as directed.

Place the strawberries in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle with sugar, then add the lemon juice; toss until the sugar is dissolved and the strawberries are well coated. Let sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Place the pan of strawberries over medium low heat and cook until the strawberries soften completely and the syrup just starts to thicken about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. (The strawberries may be prepared a day ahead.)

Reserve a quarter of the strawberries and syrup. Place the remaining strawberries in a blender or food processor, add half of the base, and blend until fully incorporated. Whisk into the remaining base.

Pour the mixture into the container of an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the reserved strawberries 5 minutes before the churning is completed. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

Plain Base:
Makes enough for one quart of gelato)

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup of sugar
In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally so a skin doesn’t form, until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges and the mixture reaches a temperature of 170F.

Meanwhile, in a medium heat-proof bowl,whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually whisk in the sugar until it is well incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Temnper the egg yolks by very slowly pouring in the hot milk mixture while whisking continuously. Return the custard to the saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and it reaches a temperature of 185F. Do not bring to a boil.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes or so. To cool the custard quickly, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water and placing the bowl with the custard in it, stir the custardf until cooled. Once completely cooled, cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

This recipe is from The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbetto as reviewed previously.

Very similar to Haagen Dazs in taste and texture.  Very hands on recipe but well worth the time it takes.

Ellen Christian

Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.