The following is my standard ice-cream recipe – a light custard base which will take infinite variations – flavour the milk and cream before cooking, stir in liquid ingredients into the custard or add chunky pieces just as the ice-cream is nearly done churning.
I worked on this recipe (well, it didn’t really feel like work) to get a custard base that doesn’t feel as if you’re eating cream. It’s a fine line between not enough fat, which makes the ice-cream feel a bit crunchy from ice crystals, and too rich, fatty and dense – fine for Haagen Dazs every now and then, but not what I want in a homemade gelato.
This amount will make enough ice-cream for two people for one meal but I know from experience that, even if I make double quantities hoping to get more days out of a single batch, it somehow disappears on the first night anyway. Your mileage and willpower may vary, so double the quantities for a whole ice-cream maker’s worth.
These are my favourite flavours so far, but see here for a meringue ice-cream that’s a great way to use up those extra egg whites from the gelato custard.
Basic gelato for two
- 250ml whole milk
- 50ml double or heavy cream
- 2 egg yolks
- 50g caster sugar
Measure the cream and milk into a saucepan and heat gently, until hot but not boiling. Meanwhile put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl that’s large enough to take the cream and milk mixture too. Whisk until pale, 2 minutes with an electric beater. Pour the cream and milk onto the eggs a bit at a time, whisking continuously, until it’s all incorporated. Pour back into the saucepan and heat, stirring all the time, until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Don’t overheat it and let it boil – go slowly so the process takes about eight to ten minutes over a medium heat.
Chill the custard well in the fridge, then pour into an icecream maker. Because this makes half-quantities, it generally churns in 15 minutes rather than 25, but do check on it.
Hazelnut ice-cream
- 70g whole hazelnuts with skin
Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes at 170 degrees. Remove the bitter skins by rubbing between some sheets of sturdy kitchen towel and chop in a processor (it doesn’t have to be too fine as it gets sieved later).
Heat the milk and cream together, add the nuts, and allow to steep for about two hours. Then pass through a sieve and discard the solid remains, reheat the milk and cream, and continue making the custard above.
Green tea ice-cream
- 4g matcha powder
Add the green tea powder along with the sugar when you beat with the egg yolks.
Mocha ice-cream
- 2 tsps instant coffee dissolved in a very little hot water
- 50g very good dark chocolate (70% or more cocoa solids)
Once you’ve made the custard, stir in the coffee and chocolate, make sure it’s melted, then chill and make the ice-cream as above.
Ginger ice-cream
- 1 inch square piece of fresh ginger
- 1 square fine dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids
Infuse the milk and cream used in the custard with the ginger by grating it in, heating to just below boiling point and steeping for an hour or so. Then make the custard and ice-cream as above. Just before taking out of the ice-cream maker, add in the square of chocolate very finely shredded (chop or grate it from cold) to give a stracciatella effect.
