Key Lime Gelato

Key Lime Gelato

I'm a little worried now about having this ice cream maker in the house....freshly made ice cream is just so darn good! And freshly made gelato rocks as well.  

We're huge fans of lime having fresh lime juice squeezed into water or on tacos just makes everything a bit better.  And now....we can add lime gelato to the list of yummy lime treats.  

We were having a spring-like day for the first really really nice day of the season since spring has been slow to arrive this year.  I made the base early in the day and then added the lime zest and juice after going to the grocery store in the early evening.  Some friends stopped in as the gelato was churning.  I think that the only thing better than fresh key lime gelato is getting to share key lime gelato with friends.  It was a bit of a celebration as the children in the group had played at state solo ensemble that day.  A great way to toast a job well done!

I made this pretty close to the original.....why mess with a good thing?  I used 3 cups milk total but 2 1/2 was whole milk and the other 1/2 was cream.  

Plain Base

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

4 large egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally so a skin doesn't form, until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges and the mixture reaches a temperature of 170°F.

Meanwhile, in a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually whisk in the sugar until it is well incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Temper the egg yolks by very slowly pouring in the hot milk mixture while whisking continuously. Return the custard to the saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and it reaches a temperature of 185°F. Do not bring to a boil.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes or so.  Once completely cooled, cover and refrigerate until very cold  (the original says at least 4 hours; however, mine chilled for 2 hours or so).

Gelato

Plain Base

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, preferably Key lime

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

3/4 cup crushed graham crackers (see Note), frozen

Make the Plain Base and chill as directed.

Gently whisk the lime juice and zest into the base. Pour the mixture into the container of an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Just after churning quickly stir in the graham cracker crumbs. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

Of the two things I have made in my brand spankin' new ice cream maker, this one is my favorite.  Next up is Jen'ls salty caramel, so we'll see if this one can hold its place.