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Gelato alla Crema made in a Ninja CREAMi, served
AI-generated photo, not of a test batch

Gelato alla Crema

The classic Italian custard gelato: pale yellow, silky and gently eggy, scented with lemon peel instead of vanilla. Simple and rich.

Hands-on
27 min
Cooling
1 h
Freeze
24 h
Program
Gelato
Makes
4 servings6 servings
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Nutrition

Per 100 g, estimatedPer serving (¼ of a 473 ml16 oz tubpint, about 123 g), estimated

175kcal
4.4 gProtein
9.3 gFat
19 gCarbs
19 gSugar
215kcal
5 gProtein
11 gFat
23 gCarbs
23 gSugar

Whole tubpint: 860 kcal, 22 g protein1290 kcal, 33 g protein (709 ml24 oz). Contains: Milk, Egg.

Ingredients

6 ingredients
Measure in
TubPint size

Tap an ingredient when it is in the bowl

whole milkheavy creamegg yolkgranulated sugarfine salt max fill
whole milkheavy creamegg yolkgranulated sugarfine salt max fill

453 of 473 ml680 of 709 ml

In the tubpintScale reads

TubsPints
1
Remix in the Pint Builder

Steps

  1. Heat 290 ml whole milk290 ml whole milk1¼ cups whole milk435 ml whole milk440 ml whole milk1¾ cups whole milk, 50 ml whipping cream50 ml whipping cream3½ tbsp heavy cream75 ml whipping cream75 ml whipping cream⅓ cup heavy cream and 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest1 tsp finely grated lemon zest1 tsp finely grated lemon zest1½ tsp finely grated lemon zest1½ tsp finely grated lemon zest1½ tsp finely grated lemon zest in a saucepan until steaming. Take it off the heat, cover and leave for 10 minutes.
  2. Whisk 4 egg yolks4 egg yolks4 egg yolks6 egg yolks6 egg yolks6 egg yolks, 75 g caster or granulated sugar90 ml caster or granulated sugar¼ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar115 g caster or granulated sugar130 ml caster or granulated sugar½ cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar and a pinch of fine salta pinch of fine salta pinch of fine salta pinch of fine salta pinch of fine salta pinch of fine salt in a bowl until pale and thick, about 1 minute.
  3. Lift out any strips of peel and warm the milk again until steaming.
  4. Slowly whisk half of the hot milk into the yolks, then pour everything back into the pan.
  5. Cook over low heat, stirring all the time, until it coats a spoon at about 80 °C176 °F, 4 to 6 minutes. Do not let it boil.
  6. Pour through a sieve into the tubpint, cool to room temperature, then put the lid on.
  7. Once it is completely cool, freeze the tubpint on a level shelf for 24 hours.
  8. Take the lid off, set the tubpint in the outer bowl and lock it into the machine. Run Gelato.
  9. If it looks crumbly or powdery, add 15 ml whole milk1 tbsp whole milk1 tbsp whole milk25 ml whole milk1½ tbsp whole milk1½ tbsp whole milk and run Re-spin.

To serve: Top each scoop with a thin curl of lemon peel.

My notes

Tips

  • Orange peel works the same way for a warmer, rounder custard. For crema with vanilla, steep half a split vanilla pod instead.
  • Use an unwaxed lemon, or scrub a waxed one in hot water. Take only the yellow part of the peel, since the white pith is bitter.
  • Save the egg whites for meringues or an omelet. They keep for 3 days in the fridge.

Why it works

Four yolks thicken the custard and give it its yellow color, and their lecithin holds fat and water together for a dense, silky scoop. With only a little cream, the eggy flavor and the hint of lemon come through clearly.

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