Strawberry Gelato

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To guarantee homemade gelato’s luscious consistency and purity of flavor, Jon Snyder suggests thickening gelato with cornstarch rather than eggs. The result has less palate-coating fat than ice cream and lets the fruit shine.Slideshow: More Frozen Dessert Recipes

Strawberry Gelato
Photo: Victor Protasio
Active Time:
1 hr
Total Time:
12 hrs 25 mins
Yield:
7 cups
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 3 cups half-and-half (divided)

  • 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar

  • 2 pounds fresh strawberries (about 8 cups hulled and quartered)

Directions

  1. Whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup half-and-half in a small bowl to make a slurry.

  2. Combine sugar and remaining 2 3/4 cups half-and-half in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium. Remove from heat; gradually whisk in slurry. Return pan to medium, and cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour mixture into a heatproof bowl. Cool completely in an ice bath, about 25 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, use a potato masher to mash strawberries in a large bowl until crushed and juicy to yield about 3 cups strawberry puree. Stir strawberry puree into cooled half-and-half mixture. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

  4. Pour half of chilled strawberry mixture into the freezer bowl of a 1 1/2-quart electric ice cream maker, and proceed according to manufacturer’s instructions.

  5. Transfer gelato to a freezer-safe container; press a sheet of parchment paper directly on surface, and seal with an airtight lid. Place in freezer. Repeat procedure with remaining chilled strawberry mixture. Freeze gelato at least 8 hours or overnight.

Originally appeared: June 2018

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