I have a big bag of frozen Maine blueberries leftover from the Blueberry Buns I made a couple of weeks ago. This Blueberry Swirl Gelato has been in my sights* for awhile and it sounds wonderful to me. Probably because it's 90 degrees outside now and summer is creeping up on us. Stinkin' summer.
I'm still surprised and annoyed at summer in Texas every year, even though I was born here and have lived here my whole life. This gelato is going to make it much, much better this year - I just know it.
It looks like there are a lot of steps to this recipe, but it's actually quite easy. There is a lot of refrigeration time - the more time in the fridge, the creamier the gelato will be when you freeze it.
It's a toss up whether this is an ice cream or gelato. Gelato normally uses fewer or no eggs and the ratio of milk to cream is higher than in regular ice cream.
This particular recipe uses four eggs and you can sure taste them in the end result. The custard base is so creamy and delicious. I really don't care if it's an ice cream or gelato. It's so very, very incredibly good!
The blueberries really shine through in this Blueberry Swirl Gelato, so use the highest quality you can find.
I recommend Maine blueberries in the frozen section of your grocery store. Sometimes fresh blueberries don't have as much flavor as the frozen ones, but you can use fresh if you prefer.
I'm looking forward to trying this with raspberries (seeds strained out, of course). Strawberries or blackberries will work too. Heck, any fruit you can puree - which is all of them - will be great.
It's gonna be a long, cool summer at my house.
Blueberry Swirl Gelato
Rich, creamy ice cream/gelato with swirls of blueberry. Decadent and delicious.
Ingredients
- Fruit Puree:
- 3 C frozen blueberries
- ½ C, plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- pinch of salt
- Custard Base:
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ C plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 C whole milk
- 1 C heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (or a pinch of regular salt)
Instructions
- For the puree: In a medium saucepan on medium heat, pour the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt and stir to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a high simmer. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes. It will still be fairly liquidy. Let cool for 10 minutes, then puree in a blender until smooth.
- Pour the blueberry mixture through a sieve and into a container that has a lid, scraping the bottom of the sieve to get all the juices off. Put the lid on the container and store in the refrigerator until cooled and ready to use.
- For the custard base: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together for about a minute, until lighter pale yellow. Whisk in the milk, cream, and salt. Pour into a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk frequently until the mixture gets to 170°. Immediately remove from heat and run through a sieve, making sure to scrape the bottom of the sieve. Place in a tightly lidded, freezer-proof container and refrigerate at least 4 hours (overnight is better).
- To churn: Add all but ¼ cup of the blueberry puree to the custard base. Stir until well-combined. Pour into your ice cream maker and churn for 30-45 minutes until it starts firming up some and swirls up to the top of your ice cream maker. Pour back into the freezer-proof container. Swirl the leftover ¼ cup of puree into the ice cream, then tightly lid the container and place in the freezer.
- Let freeze 4-5 hours (overnight is better). It won't firm up as much as regular ice cream, but will be very thick and luscious.
Notes
Tips and Stuff:
Might want to slip on the handy-dandy kitchen gloves while you're handing the blueberries - they tend to turn everything purple.
You can make the puree the day before you make the ice cream. It chills into a beautiful, thick blueberry sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 servingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 257Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 176mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 15gProtein: 7g
Nutrition Values are Approximate
I have made this twice. The second time, I added one third cup of neutral vodka. This keeps the gelato nice and smooth and doesn't affect the taste. I also make "extra" puree to serve with the ice cream. This is a winner!
Thanks for the tip, Tad. I've got a ton of strawberries I got on sale and this will be a good way to use them!