Almond Gelato

I recently was lucky enough to go on an Italian Honeymoon, where we strolled through various cities and ate copious amounts of gelato and pasta. When I came back, I was inspired to make Almond Gelato.

My first attempt was to make the Toasted Almond Gelato recipe from Williams Sonoma. It was good, but a little too nutty. What I was looking for was more like the sweet almond flavor of Asian Almond Jello, and even though it's a little fake, it's our favorite!

The next version I tried was one very loosely based on Ciao Bella Pistachio recipe. I actually used the leftover almonds from the Toasted Almond Gelato to add some texture. Here is my adaptation:

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 egg yolks
• 1 2/3 cups milk*
• 2/3 cup heavy cream*
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon Almond Extract (I used this organic one)
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted then ground to fine bits (I used a food processor)

*I often buy half and half and substitute with 1 1/3 cups half and half and 1cup of milk

PREPARATION

Use the first 5 ingredients to create the Gelato Base. Add the ground almond bits, and cool completely by refrigerating overnight. Add the vanilla and almond extracts just before you churn your gelato.

This version of Almond Gelato will give you a sweet almond jello-esque almond essence along with a bit of gritty crunch to add some substance to the sweet creaminess, but not so much nut meat that you have to chew eat bite.

I served this as part of my Babette's Lunch and it was a hit. Upon tasting it, my mother-in-law said "Oh, it's just like Almond Jello!" and she got seconds. I will still experiment a bit (and post updates), but I think I found my Almond Gelato recipe.