Vanilla Bean Gelato Food

VANILLA BEAN GELATO

Steps:

• Split the vanilla bean pod down the center and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds to the milk and stir.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, add the milk with the vanilla seeds, the split vanilla bean pod, and vanilla extract and bring to a simmer. Do not boil.
• In a medium glass bowl, beat together the egg yolks, whole egg and sugar until thickened and pale yellow. You can do this with a hand beater or by hand.
• Remove the milk from the heat and very slowly whisk a small amount of hot milk into the egg/sugar to temper the eggs. Return the pot to the heat. Slowly whisk the egg/sugar mixture into the milk. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens slightly just at the point of simmering. Do not let it boil.
• Remove the pan from the heat and discard the vanilla bean. Pour the custard into a glass bowl and let cool slightly. You can strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve at this point if you think it needs it.
• Add the cream to the custard and blend well with a whisk.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight in the fridge (or at least 4-6 hours).
• Run it through your ice cream machine according to directions - about 30 minutes.
• Scoop the ice cream into a freezer container and freeze overnight for best results.

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.

VANILLA GELATO

Steps:

• Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until thick and pale lemony yellow but still gritty, about 2 minutes; set aside.
• Heat the milk and cream in a medium saucepan until small bubbles pop up along the pan's inner rim; adjust the heat to keep the mixture very hot but do not boil.
• Whisk about 1/4 of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture until smooth, then whisk this combined mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk mixture.
• Immediately decrease heat to very low (if you are using an electric stove, move the pan to a second burner just now set on low).
• Cook slowly, stirring constantly, while the mixture thickens to the consistency of smooth, very wet cake batter and can coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 minutes.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any extraneous bits of cooked egg; stir in the vanilla and salt.
• Refrigerate until cold, for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Just before you make the gelato, place the vanilla custard in the freezer, just to assure it is very cold, for no more than 10 minutes.
• Freeze the custard in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.
• Serve at once (will be soft) or transfer to a large freezer container and store in the freezer, tightly sealed, for up to 1 month; soften at room temperature for up to 10 minutes before serving.

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.