how to make gelato?

[zozzen 14]

I'd like to make gelato with ingredients available in China. I followed the recipes i grabbed from the internet. The taste was fairly good, but the ice-cream was full of sheddled ice. Does anyone know what happens?

The recipe i used is this:

2 cups milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 4 egg yolks and some sugar.

First, mix milk and cream together and warm it in a saucepan. Then beat the egg yolks and sugar in another bowl. Combine them together and put it in a refreg for a few hours.

Any advice is highly appreciated!

[yonglin 92]

This is why they make ice-cream machines. If you don't stir the ice cream to break the ice crystals during the freezing process, they will remain (large) in the final product. By stirring, you break the ice crystals into very small pieces as they form. All ice cream contain small ice crystals - this is what makes it ice cream - you just don't want them to be large and noticable.

If you don't have an ice cream machine, you can use a handheld (electric) mixer for this purpose. The trick would be stirring without getting too much air into the batter, as that would make it too fluffy (gelato is supposed to be dense). In an ideal situation, I would probably use a handheld electric mixer with some special spiral-shaped beaters usually used for making bread dough (these come with most mixers as far as I'm aware), stirring about every 15 minutes during freezing. If you don't have a mixer at hand, you could probably try stirring with a ladle, but this will of course get increasingly difficult as the gelato gets harder and harder.

[zozzen 14]

That's very-very-very-very useful and comprehensive!!

THANKS SO MUCH, Yonglin!

I'm going to buy a small electric mixer in taobao. Btw, is it possible make gelato like this at home?

[roddy 4,902]

Moving - just because you make it in China doesn't mean it's Chinese food

[Woodpecker 11]

The best thing you can do is to buy a copy of Frozen Desserts: The definitive guide to making ice creams, ices, sorbets, gelati, and other frozen delights also known in earlier prints as Ices: The Definitive Guide by Caroline Liddell and Robin Weir.

I have a copy at home and it is well worth the investment since it tells you how to work out the correct ratio of ingredients to make any ice flavour you like, as well as a recipe for wafers/cones and over 200 excellent classic and wacky recipes (Strawberry and Balsamic Vinagar ice cream, anyone?). The Lemon Yoghurt Ice is one of my favourites and dead simple to make. All ingredients are listed in U.S., Imperial and metric measurements (though sadly this seems to have prompted American reviewers to expect all ingredients to be available in America). It also tells you how to freeze the ices for best results if you haven't got an ice-cream machine, and includes a Vanilla Gelato recipe on page 152 (uses milk, sugar, eggyolks and a Vanilla Bean for flavour. That's it!). Here's the amazon.com reference:

http://www.amazon.com/Frozen-Desserts-definitive-sorbets-delights/dp/0312143435/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208947921&sr=8-3

The softly whipped texture you asked about can only really be done with an ice-cream machine, since it constantly breaks up the ice crystals whilst freezing. The freezing process is also faster, taking around 10-20 minutes depending on the recipe and then it's ready to serve!

[floatingmoon 10]

Talking about ice-cream, what's your favourite tasted? (your = you all)

For me: Vanilla, Green Tea

[gougou 147]

what's your favourite tasted?

See here and here.

There must be a correlation between learning Chinese and craving ice cream! I was spared of that so far, but after reading those threads, I wouldn't mind one... Where about are you, zozzen?

[zozzen 14]

Thanks Woodpecker! The books you recommended are what I've been looking for ! Thanks a lot!

[Woodpecker 11]

Thanks Woodpecker! The books you recommended are what I've been looking for ! Thanks a lot!

No problem! Do let us know how you get on!

[bottledpoetry 12]

speaking of gelato making...

anyone know the cost of cream in Beijing? Um...I am bringing an ice cream maker. I can't bear to leave it behind

[zozzen 14]

There must be a correlation between learning Chinese and craving ice cream! I was spared of that so far, but after reading those threads, I wouldn't mind one... Where about are you, zozzen?

yeah, while we come to China to learn putonghua, people there want to learn something from us. In these days, ice-cream, tiramisu and many western desserts are FAQs by my friends in China, but i have no ideas how to make it at all.

[zozzen 14]

anyone know the cost of cream in Beijing? Um...I am bringing an ice cream maker. I can't bear to leave it behind

you mean whipping cream?

the cheapest one is around RMB20 something per box (around 700-800ml, i guess)

[bottledpoetry 12]

thanks!