Il Cucinologo
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Mint and Chocolate Gelato

17/11/2023

Mint chocolate chip gelato is a delicious classic, and here’s how to make it. Note: making gelato ideally requires an ice cream maker, but if you don’t have one, I’ll give you an alternative to make it without.

Ingredients

  • 500 ml whole milk
  • 250 ml fresh cream
  • 150 g sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • A bunch of fresh mint leaves (about 10-15 leaves) or, alternatively, a few drops of natural mint essence
  • 100 g dark chocolate flakes or coarsely chopped

Preparation

  1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the milk with the fresh mint until just about to boil. Remove from heat and let the mint leaves steep for about 30 minutes, then strain to remove the leaves.
  2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is pale and frothy.
  3. Return the flavored milk to the heat and, when warm, slowly add it to the egg yolk and sugar mixture, stirring continuously.
  4. Return everything to low heat and cook the custard until it reaches the consistency that coats the back of a spoon (internal temperature about 82 °C), stirring constantly and making sure it does not boil.
  5. Remove the custard from the heat and let it cool completely, preferably in an ice bath to speed up the process.
  6. Once cold, add the fresh cream to the milk and mint mixture.
  7. If you have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into it and follow the instructions to freeze the gelato.
  8. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container and place it in the freezer. For the first 2-3 hours, stir the gelato with a fork every 30 minutes to break up any ice crystals forming.
  9. When the gelato is almost fully hardened, add the chocolate flakes, mixing well to distribute them evenly.
  10. Leave the gelato in the freezer until it reaches the desired consistency.

Trivia

In Italy, mint chocolate chip gelato is also known as “stracciatella di menta”. Generally, stracciatella is an Italian gelato flavor featuring a fior di latte base with dark chocolate flakes. The addition of mint makes this version particularly refreshing and perfect for summer.