My first bite of gelato was on the streets of Rome, when I was fifteen years old, and I remember thinking it made ice cream taste like a half-eaten bag of stale, day-old bread. OK, maybe that’s not fair to ice cream, but gelato is undeniably denser and richer. (For an explanation of what makes gelato different, see Why It Works.)
Note that the custard needs to chill overnight in the refrigerator before it goes into the ice cream machine. (For more ice cream tips, see sidebar.)
Makes 1.3 kg / 1½ quarts
Difficulty: Easy
Make Ahead and Storage: The gelato can be frozen for up to 3 weeks.
1. Place a quart-sized canning jar (or similar-size vessel) in a large bowl. Pile ice around the jar and pour enough water into the bowl to come about three quarters of the way up the sides of the jar.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and 99 g / ½ cup of the sugar. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the pan (use the pod for Vanilla Sugar; see Pro Tip). Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 99 g / ½ cup sugar, the cocoa powder, salt, and cayenne together in a medium heatproof bowl. Whisk in the eggs.
4. When the milk mixture has come to a simmer, turn the heat down to medium-low. Pour one quarter of the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the yolk mixture into the pan and cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spatula, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chocolate until fully melted. Strain the custard into the canning jar and let cool to room temperature in the ice bath, then cover the jar and transfer to the refrigerator to chill overnight.
6. Transfer the chilled custard to an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Just before the gelato is finished (5 minutes before the ice cream maker indicates the end of mix time if your ice cream maker dictates times, or when it reaches the fully thick and frozen stage), add the cocoa nibs, then continue churning until the gelato is thick and frozen. Transfer the gelato to storage containers with tight-fitting lids and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.
✻ Why It Works
Gelato is traditionally made with less cream and more milk than ice cream is, and the lower amount of fat allows the other flavors to really shine. Professionally made gelato is also churned at a slower rate, meaning it’s denser and has less incorporated air than ice cream. Some ice cream makers have different speed settings based on the type of ice cream you’re churning, but even if yours doesn’t, this recipe will make silky-smooth gelato.
★ Pro Tip
Pair the gelato with Flourless Cocoa Cookies for ice cream sandwiches.