Milk Chocolate Gelato (Gelato al Cioccolato al Latte)
Dark chocolate can seem serious. Milk chocolate is quite the opposite. This gelato starts with dark chocolate but the proportion is less than is used in dark chocolate gelato. The lower percentage of chocolate and the higher percentage of dairy turn it into milk chocolate. You can buy guar gum, locust bean gum (carob), and dextrose online. Be sure to buy pure powdered dextrose, not anything labelled glucose or glucose syrup. Precision is important when making gelato, especially for ingredients like guar and carob that are used in small quantities. This will make approximately 1 quart (1 liter) of base. The recipe can be scaled up or down based on the capacity of your ice cream machine.
Servings Prep Time
2 1/2quarts 20minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
50minutes 24hours
Servings Prep Time
2 1/2quarts 20minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
50minutes 24hours
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, combine the dextrose, guar gum, locust bean gum, and salt. Mix very well as locust bean gum and guar gum can clump if they are not thoroughly mixed with the dextrose. Reserve.
  2. Combine the milk and sucrose in a stainless-steel pot. Heat to 35°C (95°F), whisking occasionally.
  3. Add the chocolate and stir until melted, keeping the temperature below 45°C (113°F).
  4. Add the skim milk powder and whisk to dissolve completely.
  5. Continuing to heat the milk mixture, slowly sprinkle in the dextrose mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps and keeping the mixture below 45°C (113°F).
  6. After the dextrose mixture is fully incorporated, heat to 85°C (185°F), stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot with a rubber spatula.
  7. Add the cream. Mix well. Heat to 75˚C (167°F) as the cream will have cooled the mixture, stirring constantly, and hold for 15 seconds.
  8. Chill quickly, preferably in an ice bath. Allow the base to mature overnight, covered and refrigerated at 4˚C (39°F) or less.
  9. Just before freezing the gelato, add water to return the base to the calculated batch weight.
  10. Blend with an immersion blender. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary.
  11. Freeze in a batch freezer according to manufacturer’s directions.
  12. Transfer the gelato from the batch freezer to a tub.
  13. Harden in a deep freezer at least 12 hours, or up to one month if tightly covered.
  14. About 15 minutes before serving the gelato, portion it into serving bowls and place the bowls in the refrigerator. This will allow the gelato to warm slightly.
Recipe Notes

I recommend weighing the stainless-steel pot when it is empty and recording the weight. That way, at step 9, when you add water to compensate for what evaporated when heating the base, you can simply add the weight of the pot to the intended weight of the mixture, which for a single batch is 1000 grams, and add water to reach that weight.

Copyright © 2024 by Villa Sentieri, LLC. All rights reserved.