I have a love-hate relationship with ice cream. I love eating it, but I hate the calories and fat it gives me. So today I’m sharing a low-fat ice cream recipe! Nah I’m just kidding, I don’t believe there’s such a thing as low-fat ice cream. It’s either you eat it, or you don’t. So if I’m going to eat some ice cream, I’ll definitely go for one that is worth every single calorie and fat it’s going to give me, like this vanilla gelato!
Gelato vs. Ice Cream
Even though gelato is Italian for ice cream, there are still differences between gelatos and American-style ice creams. The main differences lie in the fat content and air incorporated. SeriousEats did a very thorough explanation on this, so you can head over for a read!
Fat content: American-style ice cream contains a lot more fat – a look at David Lebovitz’s vanilla ice cream shows that the ratio of milk to cream is 1:2, while for this vanilla gelato recipe, the ratio is 2.5:1.
Air incorporated: American-style ice cream is churned quickly to incorporate air inside, which increases the volume of the churned ice cream by at least 25%. Gelatos, on the other hand, are churned at a slower speed, so you don’t get as much volume.
What Does It All Mean?
Gelatos tend to have a denser texture and taste less creamy than American-style ice creams. Does this means gelatos are better? I think both gelatos and American-style ice creams can be equally good – after all it’s a matter of personal preference!
This vanilla gelato is a simple and straightforward recipe like many other recipes out there. which consists the making of a custard. Making a custard is not difficult, as long as you don’t overcook it! I don’t have vanilla bean so I used my favourite vanilla paste from Nielsen-Massey which did the job perfectly in my humble opinion.
The bowl of my first ice cream machine got damaged so this is churned in my new ice cream machine that I got last year. It is a mini one which comes with two bowls that make only 1/2 pint of ice cream each (standard ones make about 2 pints, aka 1 quart). I’m the only one who eats ice cream at home as X eats only sorbets, so it only makes sense to make a small batch of ice cream each time. Otherwise, my waistline will just go… poof!
Some of the ice cream is stored in a small jar while the rest are frozen in silicone moulds to go with my Matcha Lava Cake (also specially tailored to make only 1 or 2 cakes!) Here’s how to make it if you are interested!
Step-by-step Photos | |
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| 1) Place egg yolks and caster sugar in a mixing bowl. | 2) Whisk together either with a wire whisk or an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light, thick and ribbony. |
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| 3) Place milk, cream and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is coming to a boil. | 4) Temper the egg-sugar mixture with the hot milk-cream mixture. |
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| 5) Scrape the egg-sugar mixture back into the pot of milk-cream mixture. | 6) Return the pot to low heat and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes. |
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| 7) Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and stir in the vanilla paste. | 8) Chill overnight and churn the custard in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. |
Vanilla Gelato
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large egg yolks
- 55 grams caster sugar
- 250 ml whole milk
- 100 ml heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 3-Minute Chocolate Sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep Work
- If your egg yolks have been chilling in the refrigerator, remove from the refrigerator and set aside, covered, for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
Making the Custard
- Place egg yolks and caster sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk together either with a wire whisk or an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light, thick and ribbony.
- Place milk, cream and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is coming to a boil. Bubbles will start to form around the edges of the pot. Remove the pot from heat.
- While whisking the egg-sugar mixture constantly, slowly add in the milk-cream mixture bit by bit followed by a steady stream, until 2/3 of the milk-cream mixture has been added.
- Use a silicone spatula and scrape the egg-sugar mixture back into the pot of milk-cream mixture.
- Return the pot to low heat and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes. Do not let the mixture come to a boil.
- Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and stir in the vanilla paste. Press a clingwrap directly on top of the custard and chill overnight.
Churn the Gelato
- Transfer the custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Serve immediately or transfer the churned gelato into an airtight container and store in the freezer. Let the frozen gelato soften at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving with chocolate sauce (if using).
Raymund says
I love making my own ice cream, hopefully summer comes early this time so I can start making some. Your one looks great and that chocolate adds to that awesomeness
Monica says
Ice cream is something that I would eat everyday if it didn’t have such a huge and direct impact on my waistline. But when I do enjoy it, I savor it and have something really worthwhile…and that usually means gelato. I love that not only is it lighter, it lets the underlying flavor shine. And with there’s chocolate sauce involved, even better! : )
RecipeTin (@Recipe_Tin) says
As long as it involves ice cream, I’m up for it! Just look at this vanilla gelato! It’s making me drool :))
canelakitchen says
aah Jaslibe what wonderful vanilla gelatto !!!
Jasline N. says
Thank you Gloria! Can’t win you, you have many more delicious ice creams on your site!