Chocolate Gelato by Lisa Valmorbida

Ingredients

9g caster (superfine) sugar
55g dextrose
15g skim milk powder
40g dark muscovado sugar
55g Dutch (unsweetened) cocoa powder
3g carob bean powder
460g milk
115mL pouring (single/light) cream
155g filtered water
50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into small chunks

Method

Put the caster sugar, dextrose, skim milk powder, dark muscovado sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl and mix to combine. Put the carob bean powder in a separate bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture and mix together well.

Pour the milk, cream and water into a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk in the carob bean powder mixture and continue to heat, whisking in the sugar mixture as you go, until it hits 85 C (185 F).

Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and whisk together until the chocolate has melted into the mixture and everything is well combined. Pour into a suitable lidded container and leave to cool in the freezer for 1 hour, or until the mixture drops to 4 C (39 F).

Turn on your gelato maker so it begins the freezing process.

Pour the mixture into your gelato maker. Once the mixture reaches –4 C (25 F) or is the consistency of soft-serve ice cream (this should take about 30–45 minutes) detach the canister or scoop the gelato into a pre-cooled lidded container.

Transfer to the freezer and leave for at least 1 hour to harden before serving.

Credits: This is an edited extract from Pidapipo by Lisa Valmorbida published by Hardie Grant Books RRP $40 and is available in stores nationally.

Photo Credits: Lauren Bamford and Jesper Hede. Illustrator: Jean Jullien