ESPRESSO GELATO
No beans, no machines, no baristas were used in the making of Espresso Gelato. It’s so much easier than all of that. To get the intensity, the high octane kick and the creamy richness of a ristretto shot in gelato form all it takes is two things – powder and alcohol.
recipe q&a
Espresso powder is not instant coffee. It is not espresso grounds. Primarily used by bakers, it is brewed espresso that is dehydrated. When added to a liquid (like milk) it dissolves completely.
Espresso grounds (beans) taste fantastic but don’t dissolve in liquid leaving you with gritty gelato. Steeping the grounds in milk then straining them out is one solution but honestly, it’s just not worth the extra work. Espresso powder guarantees great gelato every time.
Nope. Once opened most liqueurs are only good for 6 months-ish. That’s right, they have an expiration date. If there’s discoloration, sugar crystallizing on the bottom (or anything crusty), or any other odd changes, toss out the bottle.
Look for one without artificial flavors. A good coffee liqueur is a balance of alcohol, coffee, and sugar. Galliano’s Ristretto has a great balance of bitter and chocolate notes. Mr. Black has a fantastic liqueur that strongly emphasizes the coffee. Ultimately whatever tastes good to you is the right choice. If you don’t want to commit to a full bottle, there’s no shame in a mini-bar size Kahlua!
ESPRESSO GELATO
A delicious caffeinated espresso gelato with a slight kick of alcohol. No fancy machines or baristas needed. The combination of espresso powder, coffee liqueur and milk work together to create a rich creamy flavor that is a little like tiramisu
Ingredients
- 162g sugar
- 51g non-fat milk powder
- 12g tapioca starch
- 616g whole milk
- 173g cream
- 23g light corn syrup
- 12g instant espresso powder
- 35g espresso or coffee liqueur
Instructions
- Make an ice bath and set aside. Have a clean bowl and a fine mesh strainer standing by.
- Combine sugar, non-fat milk powder, and tapioca starch. Mix milk and cream in a large bowl. Whisk in the dry ingredients until there are no lumps. Thoroughly incorporate the corn syrup, being sure to scrape all of it into the bowl.
- Place the mixture in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Heat until bubbles start forming around the edges but do not let it come to a full rolling boil. Keep stirring the mixture while it cooks. In the last few minutes mix a bit faster as the mixture begins to thicken. Once it’s thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl that is standing by. Stir in the espresso powder.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the gelato to prevent a skin from forming then place the bowl into the ice bath. Once it reaches room temp, remove from the ice bath and refrigerate for 5-12 hours.
- Add in the liqueur and give the gelato a quick stir with an immersion blender or whisk. Process in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The gelato is finished when it is the consistency of soft-serve ice cream (about 20-30 minutes in most machines) Scoop into a container, place a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper on the surface and freeze until firm (4 hours minimum)
Notes
After curing in the refrigerator be sure to thoroughly mix the gelato to make sure all the espresso powder has completely dissolved and the liqueur incorporated.
