Decadently Chocolatey Gelato

I have been meaning to try this recipe for a while, but never got around to it until now. Better late than never, I suppose! In any case, this recipe is extremely decadent and may not be for everyone. I did my best to make it less chocolatey due to the many reviews. I guess it is named Deeply Chocolate Gelato for a reason! Even the self-proclaimed chocolate lovers felt like this was a bit too much, so I took some of the chocolate out, without compromising the chocolatey taste! So what makes this gelato and not ice cream, you ask? Well, traditional ice cream is pretty heavy with its fat content (ie. egg yolks, sugar, heavy cream, half and half, etc.). Gelato varies in its sugar content, but normally has a lot more milk than heavy cream in it as you will see from the list of ingredients! It is also softer and less rich than ice cream. Do not substitute the kind of chocolate called for because milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate will not yield the same results. With the added sugar in there, it will be cavity-inducingly sweet and unappetizing. I also recommend adding the coffee liqueur because you cannot taste the alcohol and coffee anything always enhances the chocolate flavor; plus, alcohol does not freeze so I would imagine it helps with the smooth texture of gelato. Just buy two small bottles of it if you do not want to commit to buying a bigger bottle. I just would not mess with a good recipe! A stand mixer is ideal, but I used a hand mixer with the help of my lovely beau. You will also need a candy thermometer or something similar. I love recipes like this one because you can get creative or just keep it simple. Add anything you want to truly make this recipe your own! Happy churning!

Yields: 1.5 quarts of gelato

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups whole milk

1/3 cup heavy cream

3/4 cups sugar, divided

1/4 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used 1/2 cup)

4 extra large egg yolks (I used large eggs, what a rebel!)

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 tbsp. Kahlua or any other coffee liqueur

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Large pinch of Kosher salt

Candy, cookies, nuts, caramel, etc. of your choice, optional

Directions:

1. Add the milk, heavy cream, and 1/2 cup sugar to a 2-quart saucepan and heat on medium-low until the sugar dissolves and the milk starts to simmer.

Add the cocoa powder and chocolate and whisk until smooth. You will have to work with it for a while to smooth it out, about 5 minutes. Pour the whole thing into a big measuring cup unless your saucepan has a spout.

2. Place the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitting with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes, until light yellow and very thick. 

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the hot chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.

Once incorporated, stop the mixer and transfer the egg and chocolate mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. The candy thermometer should register about 180 degrees F. Do not allow the mixture to boil!

3. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a bowl or big measuring cup and stir in the coffee liqueur, vanilla, and salt.

Allow it to cool on the counter for about 10 - 15 minutes before placing a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard and chill completely. The plastic wrap will come off without sticking to the custard once it has been chilled completely, about 2+ hours.

4. Pour the custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions.

5 minutes before the end time of the churning process, add anything in that you would like. I added about 1/3 cup of roughly crumbled chocolate wafers and 1-2 ounces of marshmallow fluff.

Freeze in a covered container. Allow the gelato to thaw slightly before serving. Enjoy!