These homemade ice-creams are not only essential to make Spumone di Caffe e Vaniglia (a great alternative to Christmas pudding), but are also delicious on their own.
Homemade Ice-creams Recipe (Gelato di Crema and Gelato di Caffe)
These recipes for homemade ice-creams – gelati – come, with permission, from Ices Italia by Linda Tubby (pub. Pavilion RRP £20). They are both essential ingredients in her recipe for Spumone di Caffe e Vaniglia (Vanilla and Coffee Dome), which makes a gorgeous alternative to Christmas pudding. But they also make delicious desserts on their own. And as Linda’s Spumone recipe only uses half of the amounts you will make here, you’ll have plenty left over for New Year.
Gelato di Crema (Serves 8)
Ingredients
Basic mix makes about 1.2 litres / 2 pints / 5 cups before churning
- 300ml / 10 fl oz / 1 ¼ cups double (heavy) cream
- 700 ml / 1 ¼ pints / 3 cups full cream (whole) milk
- 8 large egg yolks
- 200g / 7 0z / 1 cup caster (superfine)sugar
- 3 tbsp skimmed milk powder
Method
- Put the cream and milk in a saucepan. Gently heat until bubbles start to appear around the side of the pan.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and skimmed milk powder together in a heatproof bowl until pale in colour. Pour in the hot milk mixture and stir well.
- Wash the saucepan and pour the mixture back in. Cook over a medium heat - a heat diffuser mat under the pan - stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 8-10 minutes until it reaches 75C / 167 F on a thermometer. Do not boil or let the mixture get any hotter otherwise it will curdle. The custard will thicken as it cools.
- Transfer the mixture to a wide bowl and leave to cool. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Churn using an ice cream machine using the manufacturer’s instructions until frozen, or still-freeze using method described in Red Rose Sorbet recipe.
- Transfer to a freezerproof container, cover and freeze for 2 ½ hours. If frozen longer will need softening in refrigerator to make the Spumone.
Gelato al Caffe (Serves 12)
Ingredients
- 80g/2 ¾ oz finely ground coffee
- 400 ml / 14 fl oz / 1 ¾ cups boiling water
- 8 egg yolks
- 125g / 4 ½ oz / scant 2/3 cup soft brown sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 500 ml / 16 fl oz / 2 cups whipping cream
- 500 ml / 16 fl oz / 2 cups full cream (whole) milk
- 1 tsp good quality vanilla extract
Method –
- Put the coffee into a cafetiere and pour on the boiling water. Leave to stand for 15 minutes before pushing down the plunger as far as it will go. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.
- Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and salt together in a large heatproof bowl until pale in colour.
- Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan and heat slowly until just coming to the boil, or until bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Pour into the egg yolk mixture and stir well.
- Wash out the pan and pour the mixture back in. Cook over a medium heat with a heat diffuser mat under the pan, stirring constantly, for 8-10 minutes. When some of the foam disappears from the surface place a sugar thermometer in the pan and continue to stir until the temperature read 75C / 167 F. Do not let the mixture get any hotter, otherwise the custard will curdle.
- Add the coffee and vanilla, pour into a bowl to cool, then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Churn using an ice cream machine as above, or still freeze (see above). Transfer to a freezerproof container and freeze for 1 ½-2 hours before use.
Read Recipe for Spumone di Caffe e Vaniglia, (alternative to Christmas pudding) or review of Ices Italia.
