Lemon Gelato with White Chocolate Chips

I had a heavy dinner planned and wanted to make a light dessert.  But I still wanted it to be special.  I wanted to make gelato, but I don't have a gelato maker.   I used a gelato recipe and then made it in my Kitchen Aid ice cream maker.   The lemon is really tart so I added some chopped white chocolate chips.

Lemon Gelato with White Chocolate Chips

1 cup whole milk
1 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
3 Tablespoon lemon zest, this took 3 lemons
3/4 cup lemon juice, this took 3 1/2 lemons, so buy 4
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped white chocolate chips

 

Start the recipe at least one day before you mean to serve it.  You have to chill the ice cream base and then you have to chill the finished product until it firms up.  Place the ice cream maker bowl in the freezer, if it isn't already there.  You will want it REALLY frozen.

Heat the milk over medium low heat.  Do not let it boil.  Stir in the sugar and continue to stir until it dissolves.  Remove from the heat.

 

Whisk the egg yolks. 

 

Zest the lemons.  I used 4 lemons for this recipe.  But I only needed 3 for their zest.  I zested them all and then saved the additional lemon zest for the cookies I was going to make for this dessert.  Just place any zest you don't need in a Ziploc bag and stick it in the refrigerator.

The milk should have cooled for a bit.  Take about 1/4 cup and drizzle it into the whisked eggs, while whisking.  Do this two more times.  You are trying to get the eggs heated up without making scrambled eggs.  Then slowly add the rest of the milk mixture to the eggs, still continuing to whisk.  Return the eggs and milk to the pan and place it back on the heat. 

 

Add the lemon zest and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly and is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Do not boil.  If you do it will get that yucky milk skin and this does not make for good ice cream.

 

Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and cream.  Place in a bowl with a lip for pouring.  Press plastic wrap on the surface of the custard and chill for several hours or over night.  I planned ahead for this, so I chilled it overnight.  If it isn't super cold, it won't freeze into ice cream well.

 

Before you remove the custard from the refrigerator, set up the ice cream maker.  Start it turning very slowly.  Then get out the custard, remove the plastic wrap and pour it carefully into the ice cream maker bowl, while the paddle is turning.  It will be really thick and creamy, so use a spatula to get it all in.  If you pour it in first, the ice cream (gelato!) may freeze in too thick of a layer for the paddle to turn.  It should fill a Kitchen Aid bowl about 2/3 full.  The paddle will add air to the mixture and it will rise to the top of the bowl.

 

While the ice cream maker was doing all the work for me, I chopped some white chocolate chips.  I looked for mini chips, like they have for chocolate chips, but there were none.  I didn't want big hunks of frozen chips in the ice cream.  That might be disconcerting to bite down on.

 

After the ice cream had risen to the top of the bowl, I added the white chocolate chips, making sure there were no large, unchopped ones.  This can be done by chopping some more, or by eating the big ones.  Your choice.  No points for guessing what I did!

 

Run the ice cream maker for a few more minutes to make sure the chips are all mixed in and then remove the base and use a rubber spatula to transfer the ice cream (gelato!) to a plastic freezer container. 

 

Chill for 2 to 4 hours, or until firm.

   

I served this in a champagne glass with a sprig of mint and a lemon palmier.  Those were easy and fast and I will tell you how soon.