When I saw Alice Medrich's recipe for Sicilian Chocolate Gelato on my friend Audrey's blog Food From Books it appealed to me on a couple of levels; I was eager to try an Alice Medrich recipe, and, as much as I loved the Dark Chocolate Ice Cream, it seemed that I should add a less rich chocolate flavor to my frozen treat arsenal. Sicilian gelato is interesting because it is made with milk and thickened with cornstarch, thus eliminating a modicum of the guilt associated with ice cream - no cream or egg yolks.n.o.e.'s notes:
- After reading Audrey's account, I made sure that my chocolate base thickened suitably on the stovetop, although it didn't get thick per se, just thicker than it started.
- I had some Scharffen Berger Natural Cocoa powder, so that's what I used (the recipe recommends natural rather than Dutch-processed cocoa).
- The gelato froze very hard overnight; it wasn't icy, but quite hard. A few seconds in the microwave or more than a few minutes sitting on the counter were sufficient to soften the ice cream enough to scoop.
the verdict:
The gelato has intense chocolate flavor, but instead of being rich and creamy it was fresh and a bit lean. The taste reminded me of eating a Fudgsicle (although I've got to admit it has been year and years since I've eaten one!)
I shared this gelato with my brother-in-law and his family. My niece and nephews were amazed that I made it myself and plied me with questions about the difference between gelato and ice cream and the type of chocolate I'd used (cocoa powder rather than bar chocolate). I was happy to leave them with the leftovers; with a recipe this easy, I can always whip up another batch.
the verdict:
The gelato has intense chocolate flavor, but instead of being rich and creamy it was fresh and a bit lean. The taste reminded me of eating a Fudgsicle (although I've got to admit it has been year and years since I've eaten one!)
I shared this gelato with my brother-in-law and his family. My niece and nephews were amazed that I made it myself and plied me with questions about the difference between gelato and ice cream and the type of chocolate I'd used (cocoa powder rather than bar chocolate). I was happy to leave them with the leftovers; with a recipe this easy, I can always whip up another batch.
10 comments:
*sigh* My list of things to make keeps getting longer and I don't have anywhere near the time to make them all. =) That looks really good. And I love the bowl--pretty color.
Ooh...I think this would be a good flavor to try in popsicle molds, especially since it froze hard.
Sounds delicious!
well, I'm honored (and amazed!) to be mentioned twice during Ice Cream Week, especially on the blog of one of my ice cream gurus. I think I agree with you that if anything had to be left out on the counter, it should have been this one...but it was nice to have something this good that wasn't so very very bad, wasn't it?
This sounds wonderful, I like the idea of lighter chocolate; I'm definitely adding this one to "the list."
Mamma mia Nancy ..can I hide in your freezer !! In sicily they sell 'pieces' of gelato molded in little shapes and call them 'pezzi duri' hard pieces
Wow.... those photos are to die for! How could someone not want a scoop of that chocolate??? Another awesome scoop today Nancy! You are busier than 31 Flavors! :) Nicely done!
This looks delicious! I always think of gelato as quite rich, so it's interesting to see one that is lean and fudgsicle-ish (I had one just last night). I'll add this to the long list of ice creams I must try!
Did you say fudgsicle? I am totally in.
I love the idea of making a frozen chocolate treat that isn't quite so rich. The gelato looks absolutely delicious!
I love that this isn't so guilt-inducing. As long as there's a lot of chocolate flavor, I'm OK losing the creamy texture! Of course, now I'm thinking about fudgsicles and pudding pops!
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