I just found out that today is National Ice Cream Day, so I figured I better post the other frozen treat I made for our game night dessert on Friday - Chocolate Cherry Gelato. This stuff is good. But crazy rich. Even this tiny bowl in the picture is way more than you're going to need.
I used to be scared of making gelato because I thought it would be so much harder than ice cream. Well, guess what? It's not. In fact the only difference between ice cream and gelato is the heavy cream and milk ratio. Ice cream has equal parts both, or a little more cream. Gelato has a lot more milk, making it lighter and less fattening. But the process is exactly the same.
I'm not sure where I found this chocolate gelato recipe, but it's the best one I've come across so far. It's totally decadent and tastes amazing with any toppings. Or any mix-ins. I happened to have a fridge full of fresh cherries that I wasn't sure what to do with, so I threw them in. The only thing I'd do differently next time is chop the cherries up instead of tossing them in whole. It's a little overwhelming to take a mouthful of giant frozen cherries.
Chocolate Cherry Gelato
2 1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used half unsweetened and half ground chocolate)
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla
Large pinch of salt
1 cup of cherries, or any other fruit, candy, nut, etc.
1. Heat the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup of sugar over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to simmer. Add chocolate powder and bittersweet chocolate and whisk until smooth.
2. In a mixing bowl combine egg yolks and 1/4 cup of sugar on high for 3-5 minutes. Slowly add in hot milk mixture, whisking continuously. When all of the mixture has been incorporated, pour back into saucepan and cook over a medium low heat until thickened, about 180 degrees.
3. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Add vanilla and salt, stir. Cover and chill in the fridge at least six hours or overnight.
4. Make ice cream according to your ice cream maker's instructions. In the last five minutes add cherries or other mix-ins. Eat immediately or freeze. Enjoy! It's going to be intense!
