GELATO 

Gelato, which translates to “frozen” in Italian, is a frozen treat from Italy which originated in the 16th century. Gelato is said to be created by a man named Bernardo Buontalenti who was from Florence. Who knew this frozen snack was going to become something everyone still eats today? Gelato’s modern version flourished during the Italian Renaissance period, and over time spread throughout Europe and gained popularity wherever it was found. During gelato’s period of popularity throughout Europe, a cafe in France owned by a Sicilian named Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli, was created. This was the first gelato shop and there were many more to come after this. Eventually, gelato made its way to the United States in the 1770s, specifically New York City. People in the United States often confuse gelato and ice cream, but gelato typically offers less sugar and lower fat content per serving than ice cream. As gelato continued to spread, and many more gelato shops opened, the mobile “gelato cart” came into widespread use. This is why the event of walking the streets of Rome with a cup or cone of gelato in hand did not come about until the 1920s, which is when this cart was created and everyone could buy gelato plus, don’t have to sit down and eat it! Later, in 1993,  they opened the first location of Il Gelato Di San Crispino, which today is a very famous gelato shop in Italy many tourists visit. Within a year of opening it was being hailed by Italian magazines, being known as “possibly the best ice cream shop in Rome.” They had many flavors, but chocolate was and still is the most popular gelato flavor. Another gelato chain called GROM, opened in 2003,  Being featured on TV during the Winter Olympics made them a worldwide sensation. GROM is now in 34 Italian cities. That brings us to today, where gelato is still a cold treat enjoyed everywhere across the world. 

SOURCES: 

Mincho, Penny. “A DELICIOUS HISTORY – GELATO PAST TO PRESENT.” The International

     Wine & Food Society, 2011, www.iwfs.org/americas/wine-food—friends-1/

     articles/a-delicious-history—-gelato-past-to-present. Accessed 16 Feb.

     2023.

Quirk, Mary Beth. “What’s The Difference Between Ice Cream, Frozen Custard, And

     Gelato?” Consumer Reports, Consumer Reports, Inc, 14 July 2017,

     www.consumerreports.org/consumerist/

     whats-the-difference-between-ice-cream-frozen-custard-and-gelato/. Accessed  16 Feb. 2023.

Rattray, Diana. “Classic Gelato.” The Spruce Eats, Dotdash Meredith, 4 Jan.

     2023, www.thespruceeats.com/authentic-gelato-recipe-4172134. Accessed 16

     Feb. 2023.

GELATO RECIPE

Prep:15 minutes –  Cook:10 minutes – Freeze Time:3 hrs –  Total:3 hrs 25 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (20 ounces) whole milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (3 ounces) fine sugar, a little at a time,
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) skimmed milk powder
• 4 large egg yolks

(Optional: Add fruit or other toppings for different flavors) 

Steps:

1. First, gather all the ingredients.
2. Warm the milk in a large saucepan with 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons of the sugar, and the skimmed milk powder. Stir well to make sure everything is incorporated in the mixture.
3. After that, lower the heat and cook on a slow boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse.
4. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer with the remaining vanilla extract and sugar. Whisk for at least 10 minutes until the eggs are light and fluffy.
5. Then, put a mixing bowl large enough to hold the custard into the freezer to chill it.
6. Gently reheat the milk mixture until warm, but not hot, to avoid curdling the custard.
7. Then, pour the liquid slowly over the beaten eggs with the mixer running on medium speed.
8. Put the custard in the pan and place over low heat. Stir continuously and cook slowly until the mixture has thickened enough where it can coat the back of a metal spoon.
9. Next, pour the custard into the large, chilled, mixing bowl and continue to stir until the custard is cold (add in optional toppings here.)
10. Pour the custard into a plastic container and on top place a lid. Then, put it into the freezer for 30 minutes.
11. Take the custard out and beat with either a fork, hand whisk, or electric hand mixer to break down the custard into a smooth consistency. Do this 3 or 4 times every 30 minutes.
12. Finally, remove the custard, now gelato,  from the refrigerator and wait 10 minutes before serving. Have fun eating your delicious frozen treat! 🙂