Gelato Di Ducchessa Recipes

SICILIAN GELATO-STYLE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Whisk together 200 ml (about 0.8 cup) of the cold milk with the corn starch, making sure that there are no remaining lumps. Set aside for now.
• Blend the remaining 500 ml (about 2.1 cup) of the milk/cream, the sugar, the salt and vanilla bean (with seeds scraped out and added) in a sauce pan. Warm until steaming hot (not boiling!) on medium heat.
• Blend the corn starch mixture with the rest of the ingredients in the sauce pan. While barely reaching a boil, cook and stir for about four- five minutes, or until the mixture has begun to thicken and any possible "floury" taste (from the starch) has disappeared [and don't overcook: that would reduce the thickening powers of the starch].
• Take the ice cream base from the heat and let the mixture cool down.
• Refrigerate for a couple of hours, discard the vanilla bean, and freeze according to the instructions of your ice cream machine.
• In case you have no ice cream machine, still-freeze the base in your freezer (see the link below the box!) - this base is perfect for still-freezing, by the way!
• After the churning, place the ice cream in a freezer-safe container, cover with plastic film and a lid, and store in the freezer.

ITALIAN CREMA ICE CREAM (GELATO ALLA CREMA)

Steps:

• Pour milk into a saucepan. Add 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar and egg yolks. Whisk thoroughly. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently with a spatula, until custard is steaming-hot and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and salt and remove from heat.
• Pour custard through a fine mesh strainer and refrigerate until completely chilled, 8 hours to overnight.
• Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions, about 20 minutes. Seal top with plastic wrap, cover with a lid, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

GIANDUIA GELATO

Steps:

• Pulse hazelnuts with sugar and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a heavy medium saucepan with milk and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 20 minutes.
• Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then return to cleaned saucepan.
• Put 1/4 cup milk mixture in a small bowl and whisk in cornstarch. Return to saucepan, then boil over medium heat 2 minutes, whisking often (mixture will be thick). Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until melted and incorporated. Chill, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours.
• Freeze mixture in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.

GELATO

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, mix milk and cream. Warm until foam forms around the edges. Remove from heat.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until frothy. Gradually pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture gels slightly and coats the back of the spoon. If small egg lumps begin to show, remove from heat immediately.
• Pour the mixture through a sieve or fine strainer into a bowl. Cover, and chill for several hours or overnight.
• Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a sealed container, and freeze until firm. If the gelato is too firm, place it in the refrigerator until it reaches the desired consistency.

VEAL DUCHESSA

Steps:

• Heat some oil in a pan until hot. Dredge veal in the flour until it is well coated. Add the veal to the hot oil and pan fry until golden brown on both sides (veal will cook very quickly).
• Drain off the excess oil from the pan and add the sherry wine, pepper, and butter. Sprinkle the asparagus over the veal. Season with salt. Cut 3 large pieces of mozzarella in half and place on top of veal and asparagus. Add a little chicken stock and sun-dried tomatoes and cook until the sauce reduces and becomes thick. Serve when cheese is completely melted. Add more stock if necessary.

GELATO DI CREMA - VANILLA CREAM BASE FOR GELATO

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar until pale yellow and thickens up.
• Combine the whole milk, heavy cream and 1 vanilla bean, sliced in half lengthwise in a saucepan. Heat the mixture just until it starts to bubble along the edges. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove from the heat.
• Remove the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds with the tip if a small knife and add the seeds back into the milk mixture. Discard the vanilla bean shell.
• While whisking the egg mixture add in about a cup of the warm milk mixture and combine together. Then add in the rest of the egg mixture to the milk. Heat the mixture slowly to 175 to 180 degrees F. The custard should be thickened and coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not allow the custard to simmer.
• Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve, cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
• You can transfer this custard into the ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions. This will make vanilla gelato, or you can make the following variations.
• Espresso: add 1/2 cup of chilled espresso coffee into the custard.
• Chocolate: add 3 ounces melted bittersweet chocolate into the warm custard before chilling.
• Pistachio or hazelnuts: In a blender add 6 ounces shelled pistachios with the heavy cream and puree before adding into the saucepan.
• Amaretto: Stir in 1/2 cup of crushed amaretto cookies into the milk before heating and add 1-ounce amaretto liqueur into the finished chilled custard before freezing.

GELATO DI RICOTTA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir sugar and Marsala together until sugar dissolves.
• Push ricotta through a sieve into the mixture and stir well.
• Chill thoroughly.
• When ready to proceed, whip cream into soft peaks.
• Fold it into the ricotta mixture.
• Transfer to ice cream machine and freeze according to machine's directions.

GELATO DI CREMA

Steps:

• In a saucepan, mix all the ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture lightly thickened (a finger drawn across the back of a spoon should leave a path in the custard). Do not boil. Chill custard completely. Freeze in ice-cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer gelato to a container and place in freezer for 30 minutes to ripen and achieve the correct consistency. If gelato overfreezes, thaw slightly before serving.
• Gelato will keep in the freezer for one week.

GELATO DI DUCCHESSA

Steps:

• Whip 200 ml of cream.
• Stir together the mascarpone and the milk. Add the cocoa and the orange zest.
• Carefully mix in the cream.
• Put this mixture in the icecream maker. And let turn 5-10 minutes.
• Add the cranberries and the pistachios to the mixture in the icecream maker.
• Let turn until done. Pour in a container and freeze for a few more hours.
• At serving time, make the sauce.
• Pour the cream and the chocolate chips in a glass bowl and melt over a hot water bath. When you have a smooth sauce add the grated coconut.
• Put 2-3 scoops of icecream in a beautiful bowl, pour some hot sauce over and decorate with an ice cream wafer.
• You can add some fresh fruit if you like.
• Enjoy!