Fig gelato from "Scoop" by Ellen Brown
As mentioned in my article last week, Ellen Brown’s “Scoop: 125 Specialty Ice Creams from the Nation’s Best Creameries” is filled with great recipes and she has agreed to share one for fig gelato with my readers.
Enjoy!
Recipe from “Scoop” (Running Press, 2011)
Fig Gelato (Adapted from GS Gelato, Fort Walton Beach, FL)
Note from Ellen Brown, as it appeared in Scoop: “If I had to pick my favorite recipe in this book, it would be this one. I adore figs in every form—fresh or dried and in sweet or savory dishes. And it’s almost impossible to find it in ice cream! Until now, that is.”
Makes about 1 quart
1/2 pound dried Turkish figs, stemmed and diced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups whole milk, divided
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Combine the figs, sugar, and 1 cup water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and cook the figs, stirring frequently, for 15 to 17 minutes, or until very soft and the mixture is thick. Set aside.
Combine 11/2 cups of the milk, cream, corn syrup, and salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to steam; watch it carefully and make sure it does not come to a boil.
While the mixture heats, combine the remaining milk, milk powder, cornstarch, and vanilla extract in a small bowl, and stir until smooth and both of the powders have dissolved.
Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan, and bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Whisk the mixture until smooth, and simmer the mixture over very low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, or until thickened. If the mixture is lumpy, strain it through a sieve.
Combine the figs and 1 cup of the hot custard in a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in a blender, and purée until smooth. Return the purée to the pan, and whisk to blend.
Transfer the hot liquid to a storage container and press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate the mixture uncovered until it is completely chilled (below 40ºF), or quick-cool it according to the method on page 14.
Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Serve immediately for a soft ice cream, or transfer the mixture to an airtight storage container and freeze until hard. Allow the ice cream to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving if frozen solid.
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