Traditional Stracciatella Gelato Recipe With Milk Cream

This stracciatella gelato recipe is a milk ice cream, known as crema di latte or fior di latte, mixed with chocolate shards to add a delightful crunch. Crema di latte is a traditional base for many Italian gelati, especially those with fruit or sorbet. It’s lighter because it does not use heavy cream. To enhance its creaminess, Italian meringue is added after the base has cooled, creating the traditional luscious texture.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword chocolate chip ice cream, stracciatella gelato, stracciatella ice cream

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 30

Resting time 4

Total Time 5 10

Servings people

Calories 277kcal

Author Laura Tobin

Equipment

Ingredients

For the milk cream

2 cups whole milk
1 ¼ cup caster sugar
5 egg yolk

Italian Meringue

1 egg white
¼ cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon water

Chocolate

3 oz dark chocolate chip

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Crema di latte

Whisk egg yolks and caster sugar together until smooth and slightly pale, ensuring full sugar incorporation. Small bubbles will form, indicating that the mixture is well-aerated.
5 egg yolk, 1 ¼ cup caster sugar
Heat whole milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it is just about to simmer then remove from the heat
2 cups whole milk
Gradually pour some of the warm milk into the egg yolk and sugar mixture while continuously whisking to prevent the yolks from scrambling.
Slowly add the remaining warm milk while continuing to whisk until fully combined.
Return the combined mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat.
Stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking and burning, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Immediately remove the mixture from heat and strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl to ensure the base has a smooth texture.
Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, ideally for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Making the Italian meringue

Combine caster sugar and water in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and allow the sugar to dissolve completely without stirring, as stirring can cause the sugar to recrystallize.
¼ cup caster sugar, 1 tablespoon water
Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat slightly to bring the mixture to a slow boil. It's important to maintain a gentle boil without stirring to prevent the sugar from recrystallizing.
While the syrup is cooking, start whipping the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until they form soft peaks. This is best done using an electric mixer to ensure the egg whites are sufficiently aerated.
1 egg white
When the syrup reaches 240°F (115°C) on a candy thermometer, known as the soft-ball stage, carefully and gradually pour it in a fine stream into the whipped egg whites.
Continue beating at high speed while doing this, aiming to pour the syrup between the whisk and the side of the bowl to prevent splattering.
Continue to whip the mixture until it becomes glossy and forms stiff peaks. This indicates that the Italian meringue is ready.

Melting the chocolate

Place a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
3 oz dark chocolate chip
Break the chocolate into small, even pieces and place them in the bowl. Stir occasionally as it softens.
Once the chocolate is smooth and fully melted, carefully remove the bowl from the pot, being mindful of any steam.
Keep the chocolate warm by leaving it over the warm water turned off, or periodically warming it over a few seconds of gentle heat to ensure it remains fluid.

Making the ice cream

Pour the chilled milk cream mixture into your ice cream machine and start the machine. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the ice cream is thick and almost solid, typically about 20-30 minutes.
Add the Italian meringue to the machine while it is still churning. The blades will incorporate the meringue into the ice cream, ensuring it is evenly mixed while maintaining its fluffy texture.

Adding the chocolate

Crumble the soft, warm chocolate with your fingers, adding it to small pieces.
Continue churning the ice cream until the chocolate is evenly distributed and the ice cream reaches the desired consistency, typically a few more minutes.
Serve the ice cream immediately

Video

Notes

N.B. The Italian meringue cannot be made ahead of time. Once ready it should be used immediately in your gelato recipe to ensure it retains its structure and airiness.

You can melt the chocolate in the microwave:

Chop the chocolate into small, uniform pieces and place them in a microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave on medium power for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval to help the chocolate melt evenly.

As the chocolate begins to melt, reduce the intervals to 15 seconds to avoid overheating.

Continue until the chocolate is completely smooth.

To keep the chocolate from solidifying, set the microwave-safe bowl in a larger bowl filled with warm water or give it a few seconds of microwave heat if it starts to thicken.

Adding the chocolate to the ice cream:

Adding the chocolate

Check the temperature of the melted chocolate before adding it to the ice cream.

The chocolate should be warm to the touch but not too hot.

If the chocolate is too hot, it could melt the ice cream unevenly and potentially damage the machine by causing sudden temperature changes.

This is why I use my fingers to check its temperature and to crumble the chocolate into the ice cream.

This method ensures that the chocolate is not too hot and solidifies quickly upon contact with the cold ice cream, creating crisp, delightful shreds.

Nutrition