Lemon Gelato
Submitted by davepeters
Lemon gelato made from a rich egg custard base with fresh lemon zest and juice, heavy cream, and half-and-half. Intensely citrusy Italian frozen dessert with silky texture.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
15 minREADY
90 minSix whole lemons go into this Italian gelato, both the zest and the juice, for a lemon flavor that’s bold and bright without being sour. The custard base is rich with egg yolks, heavy cream, and half-and-half, creating that dense, silky texture that separates real gelato from regular ice cream.
Processing the lemon zest directly with the sugar releases the essential oils trapped in the rind. Those oils infuse the sugar and dissolve into the custard as it heats, carrying far more lemon flavor than zest alone could deliver.
The lemon juice goes in after the custard cools, not before. Adding acid to hot custard can cause the cream to curdle. Stirring it into the cooled base keeps everything smooth and lets the fresh citrus flavor stay bright instead of cooked and flat.
Pro Tips
- Cook the custard until it just coats the back of a spoon. If you can draw a line through it with your finger and it holds, it’s ready. Overcooking scrambles the egg yolks.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard while cooling. This prevents a skin from forming that would create icy flakes in the finished gelato.
- Chill the custard base completely before churning. Warm custard won’t freeze properly in the machine and produces a grainy texture.
Variations
- Add a tablespoon of limoncello to the cooled custard before churning for a boozy, adult version.
- Fold in crushed amaretti cookies after churning for a crunchy, almond-scented contrast.
- Swirl in a few tablespoons of raspberry puree during the last minute of churning for a lemon-berry ripple.
Ingredients
Directions
Grate the zest of 6 lemons and set aside in a bowl with the sugar.
Or, use a vegetable peeler to remove ¾ cup zest from the lemons and process the lemon strips with the sugar in a food processor until zest is minced, about 30 seconds.
Set lemons aside.
Whisk the egg yolks with the cream and salt in a heatproof mixing bowl.
Put the half-and-half and lemon-sugar in a medium non- aluminum saucepan.
Bring liquid to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Remove pan from heat.
Slowly whisk the hot half-and-half into the egg yolk mixture.
Then return the partially cooked custard to the saucepan.
Stir constantly over medium-low heat until mixture begins to thicken slightly and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes (the approximate consistency of unwhipped heavy cream).
Pour hot custard into a bowl without straining.
Stir in the vanilla.
Put a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard to prevent skin from forming.
Set custard aside at room temperature to cool.
(Can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 48 hours). FREEZING: Squeeze ¾ cup juice from the lemons and stir juice into cooled custard.
Transfer the custard mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacrurer’s instructions.
Comments
