Gelato and Ice Cream Fusion
A recipe of homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
In Italy, one of the most popular and well known desserts is gelato. With its creamy texture and flavorful taste it is simply irresistible and impossible not to love. What makes gelato so unique compared to other frozen desserts, and distinguishable from ice cream, is the care and attention that the artisans put into the making of gelato. In Italy, gelato is a product of craftsmanship. It is highly regarded as it encapsulates the values of Italian cuisine and culture. Italian cuisine prioritizes the concept of homemade, simplicity, and high quality ingredients. As a matter of fact, most of the gelaterias in Italy are locally owned, and many of the recipes are passed down from generation to generation, and even the franchised gelaterias, such as Grom and Amorino try to respect the tradition and the values of gelato.
Gelato dates all the way back to the 1600s, when people used to mix fruits and berries with the ice and snow they would get from the Etna, which resulted in what is now known or recognizable as a sorbet. After the dessert had been exported to Paris with Francesco Procopio de Coltelli, opening his first gelateria there, milk was finally added to the recipe, making it in the gelato that we appreciate today. (To read more about the history of gelato click here).
When you move dishes and foods to different cultures, these foods are likely to be adapted and changed to respect the palates of that culture, explaining why gelato is more popular in Italy, whilst ice cream is more popular in the United States. Although these two deserts are quite similar to one another, there are actually a variety of factors that make them different. First and foremost, they differ by their ingredients. Gelato is made with milk, which decreases the butterfat percentage and makes the consistency of the gelato softer and more delicate. Ice cream, on the other hand, is made with cream, which increases the buttermilk percentage, and gives a creamier and denser taste to the dessert. Other than the consistency, the flavors of these two dishes are also quite distinct. In one you have flavors that represent local products and tastes, such as pistachio from Bronte, Piedmont hazelnut, or crema, in the other you can find more intricate flavors such as rocky road, chocolate chip cookie dough, or brownie batter, all of which represent American flavors.
This recipe will be incorporating and fusing the two by merging the flavors of American flavors into the homemadeness of Italian culture, and is an adaptation of this recipe.
Ingredients:
400 mL of heavy cream
250 mL of condensed milk (this can be adapted to taste)
A teaspoon of vanilla extract
Dark chocolate chunks (quantity varies on taste)
Cookie dough
15 mL of rum (optional)
Procedure:
1. Start whipping the cream so that it becomes fluffy and airy. Make sure that the cream is cold enough.
2. Once the whipped cream has reached the right consistency add the vanilla extract and condensed milk, and if you wish the rum. Adding the rum will contrast the sweetness of the condensed milk and will lower the freezing point of the ice cream, so that it doesn’t turn rock-hard if kept in the freezer over time. Mix the added ingredients with a spatula.
3. Add the chocolate chunks and cookie dough and incorporate them in the mixture.
4. Cover the mixture with a lid and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours.
The final result should look something like this
