Popcorn Gelato Recipes

PUMPKIN GELATO

Steps:

• Whisk together the pumpkin puree, cream, milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

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.

GELATIN-FLAVORED POPCORN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 1/4 sheet pan or two 8x12 inch baking dishes. Generously butter a heavy 2 quart saucepan.
• Distribute popcorn evenly in prepared baking pans. Place in oven to keep warm.
• In prepared saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, gelatin, corn syrup and water. Heat to 250 to 265 degrees F (121 to 129 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball.
• Pour mixture evenly over popcorn and stir until coated. Return popcorn to oven and bake 5 minutes; stir, then bake 5 minutes more.
• Turn popcorn out onto a large piece of foil. Let rest until cool enough to handle, then form into balls. Or let cool completely and break into clusters. Store in an airtight container, in a cool, dry place.

LEMON GELATO

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan, heat milk to 175°; stir in sugar until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Add lemon zest. Cook over low heat until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and a thermometer reads at least 160°, stirring constantly. Do not allow to boil. , Remove immediately from heat; stir in lemon juice and cream. Place in a bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard; refrigerate several hours or overnight., Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. (Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze.) Transfer ice cream to freezer containers, allowing headspace for expansion. Freeze 2-4 hours or until firm. Repeat with remaining mixture.,

SWEET-CORN GELATO

Steps:

• Cut kernels from corn cobs; reserve cobs. Break each cob into 2-3 pieces. Bring milk to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add corn kernels and cobs. Remove mixture from heat, cover, and let steep for 45 minutes.
• Remove cobs from milk; discard. Purée mixture in batches in a blender. Set a coarse strainer over a large bowl. Strain mixture, pressing on solids; discard solids. Add more milk if needed to measure 3 1/2 cups.
• Bring corn mixture, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and cream to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
• Set a strainer over a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture; return to saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat until custard registers 175° on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.
• Immediately pour custard through strainer. Place bowl with custard over a large bowl of ice water. Let stand until cold, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate custard for at least 6 hours or, preferably, overnight.
• Process custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container; freeze for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

POPCORN GELATO

Steps:

• Put the milk and popcorn in a pot set over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids with the back of a ladle. The strainer will catch the coarse corn particles while allowing the milk and the broken-down popcorn solids to pass through. Discard the residue in the strainer and reserve the popcorn milk (you should have about 1,030 grams).
• Put the white chocolate in a Mason jar and lightly screw on the lid. Place the jar in a pressure cooker and add water to fill the chamber by one-quarter. The water creates steam in the chamber and forms a double-boiler pressure cooker. Seal the pressure cooker and bring up to high pressure. Cook the chocolate on high pressure for 30 minutes. Let the pressure dissipate naturally. Carefully remove the jar and let it cool. When the jar is cool enough to handle, remove the chocolate from it by running a butter knife or small offset spatula along the inside of the jar and gently shaking the chocolate out onto a plate. Alternatively, place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl in a 250°F (120°C) oven for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it turns a deep golden brown. Let cool. Reserve the caramelized white chocolate. This step can be done in advance. The cooled caramelized white chocolate can be wrapped in plastic and kept at room temperature for up to a month.
• Chop the caramelized white chocolate into small pieces and put them in a blender. Prepare an ice bath.
• Pour the popcorn milk into a medium pan set over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate. Turn the blender on low. Sprinkle in the salt and increase the speed to high. Puree the mixture for 1 minute. It should be smooth and creamy. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and cool the mixture in the ice bath. Refrigerate the ice cream base for at least 4 hours. Place a bowl for the gelato in the freezer.
• Fill a Styrofoam container halfway with liquid nitrogen. Pour the ice cream base into a whipped cream canister. Charge it with two nitrous oxide charges, then extrude the base in short bursts into the nitrogen. Use a slotted spoon to remove the gelato, which will now look like popcorn. Place the frozen popcorn pieces in the frozen bowl and set them in the freezer for 10 minutes. The gelato is too cold to eat when it first comes out of the liquid nitrogen and would cause frostbite on the inside of your mouth. It has to "warm up" in the freezer for 15 minutes to become edible. Alternatively, you can freeze the base using a traditional ice cream maker. It will keep for up to 1 week in the freezer.