The perfect ending to the perfect Italian meal is limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur. This gelato variation steps it up and gives you a creamy dessert to boot.
INGREDIENTS: YIELD: 1 QUART
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup sugar
- Pinch salt
- Zest of 2 lemons, finely chopped
- 5 large egg yolks
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup limoncello
- Fresh-squeezed juice of ½ lemon
- Limoncello
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Stir over medium heat. Once simmering, remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep for 1 hour.
- Reheat milk mixture over medium-low heat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks. Once milk mixture is hot, temper the yolks by adding half of the mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan, and heat until thickened. Pour ½ cup of heavy cream into a large mixing bowl over an ice bath. Strain custard into the cream.
- Stir together limoncello, lemon juice, and remaining cream. Stir into gelato mixture. Refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.
- Add to ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions for freezing. Stop the churning as soon as the gelato is just frozen.
Note:
- Limoncello is a liqueur made from lemon peel. It is commonly used in Italian cuisine as an apéritif and a digestive before and after meals. There are several differing stories as to the origin of limoncello, but what does remain consistent is that limoncello was first created in the 1900s on Italy’s southwest coast, in either Capri, Sorrento, or Amalfi.
