Gelato on a Stick

Here’s how to make delicious gelato on a stick, with a touch of Italian flair. This is a basic recipe, but then I’ll tell you how to customize it Italian-style.

Ingredients

• 500 ml fresh whipping cream
• 250 ml condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• Fruit of your choice (for example: strawberries, raspberries, bananas, kiwi)
• Chocolate chips, chopped hazelnuts, or other ingredients to enrich (optional)
• Popsicle molds

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, mix the fresh whipping cream with the condensed milk until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. If you like, add the vanilla extract to flavor.
2. Cut the chosen fruit into small pieces and add it to the mixture, along with any other ingredients such as chocolate chips or chopped hazelnuts.
3. Pour the mixture into the popsicle molds, leaving a little space at the top to allow the gelato to expand during freezing.
4. Insert a wooden stick into the center of each mold.
5. Freeze for at least 4 hours or until the ice creams are completely solid.

To add an Italian touch, you can incorporate typical ingredients into your gelato such as Piedmont IGP hazelnut, Bronte pistachio, or make a tiramisu variant, adding cooled espresso coffee and pieces of ladyfingers to the base mixture.

Fun Fact

Gelato on a stick is a fun and practical way to enjoy gelato, especially in summer. In Italy, one of the best-known variants of this dessert is “gelato alla Bolognese,” a kind of semifreddo on a stick that uses whipped cream, powdered sugar, and chocolate, often accompanied by a raspberry or other fruit sauce.