Vanilla Gelato

The Method for Vanilla Gelato

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1. Warm the milk, cream, vanilla pod and seeds, salt and half the sugar to a bare simmer, then take off the heat and infuse for 20 minutes.

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2. Whisk the yolks with the remaining sugar, the milk powder and the cornflour until smooth and pale.

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3. Remove the vanilla pod. Pour the hot milk over the yolks in a thin stream, whisking constantly.

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4. Return to the pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a spatula, until it reaches 82°C / 180°F and coats the back of the spoon. Do not let it boil.

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5. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl set over ice and stir until cool.

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6. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight — the ageing step measurably improves the texture.

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7. Churn in an ice cream maker for 25 to 35 minutes, until thick and glossy but still soft.

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8. Transfer to a shallow container, press baking paper onto the surface, and freeze for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

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Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Keep an Eye on These

1. Milk powder adds solids without fat, which is what keeps gelato dense rather than icy.
2. Take gelato out of the freezer 10 minutes before serving. Fridge-hard gelato tastes of nothing.
3. For pistachio, blend 150 g of pistachio paste into the strained base before ageing.

The Short Version

Gelato differs from ice cream in three measurable ways: less butterfat, far less air churned in, and a serving temperature about 5°C / 41°F warmer. Lower fat leaves the flavour compounds less coated, less air makes it denser, and the warmer service keeps it soft — together they are why gelato tastes more of itself.

On the Table Alongside

A shot of espresso poured over it makes an affogato · Serve with biscotti · Follows any Italian meal

Leftovers

Freeze up to 2 weeks with paper pressed to the surface. It gets icier the longer it sits.

Quick Answers

Vanilla Gelato Nutrition Facts

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

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