Cookies N Cream Gelato.

           You may be wondering why I'm making so much ice-cream. Well, that's because everytime I plan to make ice-cream, I'll have to buy the whipping cream & it normally comes in a 1-litre carton which is  good for 4 batches of recipes. Once opened, I have to finish it within few days. Otherwise, it'll have to be thrown away......

          Cookies & cream ice-cream is at the top of the list of my family's most favourite flavour. It's basically vanilla ice-cream with broken chocolate sandwich cookies added to it. So here's the recipe I've adapted from Torrace Kopfer. Enjoy....

Ingredients:

2 cups (470ml).............................whole milk

1/2 cup (100g)............................. granulated sugar

4 (large) .......................................egg yolks

1 cup (235ml)...............................dairy whipping cream

1/2 tsp..........................................pure vanilla paste

6...................................................Oreo cookies (I removed cream & broke into small pieces. 3 to 4 hours before churning the chilled mixture in the ice-cream maker, place cookies in the freezer.)

Method:

1. Combine the milk and about 1/2 of the sugar in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it registers 77 deg C (170 deg F) on an instant-read thermometer.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining sugar until foamy and slightly thickened.
3. Carefully and slowly, pour about half of the hot milk to the eggs, whisking continuously. Pour the heated egg mixture into the saucepan with the hot milk and return to the stove top.
4. Stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, cook the mixture over medium heat until it registers 85 deg C (185 deg F) on an instant-read thermometer or is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon or spatula,  Do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove from the heat. If the mixture is not completely smooth, emulsify it by using a hand whisk or stand  blender and blending it until smooth, before proceeding to the next step.
5. Combine the whipping cream and vanilla paste in a stainless steel or glass mixing bowl and stir until the powder dissolves and set it over an ice bath (i.e. a bowl filled with ice & cold water).
6. Pour the heated custard through a strainer into the cold cream and stir until fully incorporated and the mixture has fully cooled. Then remove the bowl of  mixture from the ice bath, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
7. When ready, pour the chilled mixture into the  ice-cream maker and process according to manufacturer's specifications. Add in the frozen cookies about 10 minutes before the end of the churning process.
8. Remove the finished gelato from the ice-cream maker and place it in a plastic container. Cover with plastic wrap or silicone paper by pressing the wrap or paper gently against the top of the gelato.Affix lid to container and place in the freezer to fully harden before serving.

Makes about 1 litre.

When fresh is not the best.......

          When I first made Mint Chip Gelato, I used fresh mint leaves which were immersed in  warm milk to produce natural mint flavour. But my family did'nt like it.... Amir said it tasted 'strange'! So this time, I used peppermint essence instead. "Now it tastes normal!" said Amir. Actually, I like the essence better too.....

           I don't really like taking pictures of ice-cream, especially on a hot day like we've been having the past few days. With  Ramadan arriving in two weeks, I hope the weather will have some mercy on us.....like today when it rained for a while. Anyway, this gelato is certainly a soothing dessert on a hot day!

Once again, I've adapted Torrance Kopfer's recipe found in Making Artisan Gelato.

Ingredients:

2 cups (470ml).............................whole milk

1/2 cup (100g)............................. granulated sugar

4 (large) .......................................egg yolks

1 cup (235ml)...............................dairy whipping cream

1/4 tsp..........................................pure vanilla paste

1 1/2tsp........................................peppermint essence

1/2 cup (90g)................................chopped dark chocolate (leave the chopped chocolate in the freezer for a few hours before adding to the gelato)

Method:

1. Combine the milk and about 1/2 of the sugar in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it registers 77 deg C (170 deg F) on an instant-read thermometer.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining sugar until foamy and slightly thickened.
3. Carefully and slowly, pour about half of the hot milk to the eggs, whisking continuously. Pour the heated egg mixture into the saucepan with the hot milk and return to the stove top.
4. Stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, cook the mixture over medium heat until it registers 85 deg C (185 deg F) on an instant-read thermometer or is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon or spatula,  Do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove from the heat. If the mixture is not completely smooth, emulsify it by using a hand whisk or stand  blender and blending it until smooth, before proceeding to the next step.
5. Combine the whipping cream and vanilla paste in a stainless steel or glass mixing bowl and stir until the powder dissolves and set it over an ice bath (i.e. a bowl filled with ice & cold water).
6. Pour the heated custard through a strainer into the cold cream and stir until fully incorporated and the mixture has fully cooled. Then remove the bowl of  mixture from the ice bath, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
7. When ready, pour the chilled mixture into the  ice-cream maker and process according to manufacturer's specifications. Add in the frozen chopped chocolate about 10 minutes before the end of the churning process.
8. Remove the finished gelato from the ice-cream maker and place it in a plastic container. Cover with plastic wrap or silicone paper by pressing the wrap or paper gently against the top of the gelato.Affix lid to container and place in the freezer to fully harden before serving.

Makes about 1 litre.

Oreo Malted Milk Gelato.....

          This is my second ice-cream post although I've actually made ice-cream a few times. While I'm typing this entry, the Oreo Malted Milk Gelato is almost depleting.... What did I say about my hungry bears......? The good thing is they like my ice-cream and I feel good. But taking the pictures was a challenge. For one, Amir & Maisur kept bugging me while I was trying very hard to exercise my creativity...."Can we eat the ice-cream now? Can I eat the Oreos now? Wait! Don't touch that! Move aside!" Just imagine the noise....

       
           And today's weather is  not helping either! It's so hot and humid that I had to work very fast. After taking some shots of the ice-cream in the big container, I had to put it back into the freezer before I could take more photos later. I even put the small cup I was going to use in the freezer first!

        

         

            The first time I made malted milk ice-cream, I used the recipe from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. It was just too rich and sweet to my taste. So this time, I've adapted the recipes by Lebovitz and Toffance Kopfer, the authour of Making Artisan Gelato.  I used Kopfer's basic gelato recipe and added half the amount of malt used by Lebovitz in his Malted Milk Ice-cream recipe. I also added Oreo cookies. It tastes much better. It's rich but not too sweet, although I would add a bit more malt powder the next time I make this gelato.

Ingredients:

2 cups (470ml).............................whole milk

1/2 cup (100g)............................. granulated sugar

4 (large) .......................................egg yolks

1 cup (235ml)...............................dairy whipping cream

1/3 cup (45g)................................malt milk powder (I used Horlicks & will add 25g more in future)

1/2 tsp..........................................pure vanilla paste

6...................................................Oreo cookies (Remove cream & break into small pieces. 3 to 4 hours before churning the chilled mixture in the ice-cream maker, place cookies in the freezer.)

Method:

1. Combine the milk and about 1/2 of the sugar in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it registers 77 deg C (170 deg F) on an instant-read thermometer.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining sugar until foamy and slightly thickened.
3. Carefully and slowly, pour about half of the hot milk to the eggs, whisking continuously. Pour the heated egg mixture into the saucepan with the hot milk and return to the stove top.
4. Stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, cook the mixture over medium heat until it registers 85 deg C (185 deg F) on an instant-read thermometer or is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon or spatula,  Do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove from the heat. If the mixture is not completely smooth, emulsify it by using a hand whisk or stand  blender and blending it until smooth, before proceeding to the next step.
5. Combine the malted milk powder, whipping cream and vanilla paste in a stainless steel or glass mixing bowl and stir until the powder dissolves and set it over an ice bath (i.e. a bowl filled with ice & cold water).
6. Pour the heated custard through a strainer into the cold cream and stir until fully incorporated and the mixture has fully cooled. Then remove the bowl of  mixture from the ice bath, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
7. When ready, pour the chilled mixture into the  ice-cream maker and process according to manufacturer's specifications. Add in the frozen cookies about 10 minutes before the end of the churning process.
8. Remove the finished gelato from the ice-cream maker and place it in a plastic container. Cover with plastic wrap or silicone paper by pressing the wrap or paper gently against the top of the gelato.Affix lid to container and place in the freezer to fully harden before serving.

Makes about 1 litre.

Durian Gelato, anyone?

          It's hard to ignore the durians whenever I go to the market these days. You see, my hb and I love durian. The problem  is, it's hard for him to control himself when eating durians. So I've been refraining myself from approaching the durian section until a few days ago.... I gave in... Bought 3 packs, ate 2 packs and used 1 pack to make Durian Puffs and  Durian Gelato! Not very happy with the puffs but the gelato was a success!

          There are not many good quality durian ice-cream in the market. Even Swensons'  has the artificial flavour and lack the pure durian flavour. Straits Kitchen's is better. Still I think the recipe that I used is the best. It's like eating frozen durian but better. When this rich and creamy gelato melts in my mouth, it leaves some pulp as if to remind me not to forget the source of this heavenly taste frozen dessert! All the time and effort put in in the preparation and the facial expression of my testers make it all worth it!

            I know some of you are wondering what the difference between gelato and ice-cream is. Actually, both are prepared using essentially the same ingredients and method. The major difference is the amount of air and butterfat contained in each. Gelato contains between 6% & 8% butterfat whereas ice-cream contains 10 to 16 % butterfat. Since gelato contains less fat, less air is whipped into it when it is simultaneously churned and frozen in an ice-cream maker. So, gelato has a slightly denser and softer consistency than ice-cream. (Source: Making Artisan Gelato by Toffance Kopfer)

             I've tried Kopfer's recipes a few times and I'm happy with the outcome. So I've adapted his recipe to prepare my Durian Gelato.

Ingredients:
2 cups (470ml) whole milk
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 cup (235ml) dairy whipping cream (I used 38% fat)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla paste
100g durian flesh (buy the best available and mash with folk)

Method:

1.Combine the milk and 2/3 of the sugar in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it registers 77 degC on an instant-read thermometer.

2.In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining sugar until foamy and slightly thickened.

3.Carefully temper the egg yolks with the milk mixture by slowly adding about half of the hot liquid to the eggs, whisking continuously.

4.Pour the heated egg mixture into the saucepan with the hot milk and return to the stove top. Stirring continuously with a wooden spoon , cook the mixture over medium heat until it registers 85degC on an instant-read thermometer or is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon or spatula, taking care to make sure  the mixture does not boil. Remove from the heat.

5.If the mixture is not completely smooth, emulsify it by using a hand whisk or stand  blender and blending it until smooth.

6. Pour the heavy cream into a clean, large stainless steel or glass mixing bowl set over an ice bath.

7.Pour the heated custard through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer into the cold cream and stir until fully incorporated and the mixture has fully cooled.

8. Then remove the bowl of  mixture from the ice bath, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.

9. When ready, pour the chilled mixture into the  ice-cream maker, add in the mashed durian and vanilla and process according to manufacturer's specifications.

Makes about 1 litre.
Adapted from Making Artisan Gelato by Toffance Kopfer.