Dark chocolate gelato with cocoa nibs

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With some of the world's best ice cream coming from Italy, it's a safe bet this dark chocolate gelato will be a winner when you make it at home.

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Ice cream is my favourite food, I enjoy making them at home for the pure pleasure. It’s not cheaper, making homemade ice cream, but it’s fun and takes me back to many holidays and long weekends spent in Milan, Forte dei Marmi to Florence to Bologna and surroundings areas. I am yet to go South. Italy has brought us the best gelatos with endless creative flavours compounding with fantastic displays. It’s a winner in my book. Gelatos have less fat (cream) than ice cream. It’s important to use good quality ingredients. Also, in Italy they have special equipment to make gelato. Here is a recipe inspired by my Italian travels, dark chocolate gelato with added cocoa nibs – homemade with love.

This recipe makes 750ml of gelato.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 100g of dark chocolate, good quality (minimum 70%), chopped
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 200g of caster sugar
  • 500ml of whole milk
  • 50ml of double cream
  • 2 tbsp of cocoa powder, good quality, unsweetened
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 pinch of salt, large
  • 30g of cacao nibs

Method

1
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (bain-marie), then allow to cool for 5 minutes. Reserve
2
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer or wire whisk until smooth. Reserve
3
Pour the milk, cream and cocoa powder into a saucepan and place over medium-low heat until almost boiling. Turn off the heat and, beating constantly, add the melted chocolate. Slowly add this mixture to the egg yolk and sugar mixture, beating vigorously
4
Transfer this new mixture to the pan and cook over very low heat (don't allow the mixture to boil), stirring with a wooden spoon for about 2 or 3 minutes, until the chocolate custard has thickened - it will cover the back of the spoon when ready. Add the salt and vanilla. Mix well
5
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into an ice cream container. Cover well and refrigerate until completely cool (about 1 hour). If you have an ice cream machine use as per instructions. If not, then place the gelato in the freezer, setting to full power if it’s a hot day
6
After an hour, remove from freezer and beat the gelato (with an electric mixer or whisk), to break up the ice crystals that may have formed and add air. Return to the freezer and repeat three more times (ie.: for 3 hours ). On the last beating, add the cocoa nibs and freeze overnight. You should have produced a nice creamy light gelato. Enjoy
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Brazilian food and travel blogger, living in London.

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