We’re delighted to share these three delicious recipes taken from the new book Gelupo Gelato: A Delectable Palette of Ice Cream Recipes by Jacob Kenedy and published by Bloomsbury.

Mint Stracciatella

There is a big difference between the taste of fresh mint leaves and the taste of toothpaste. You cannot, as far as I know, buy areally good mint ice cream anywhere but in very few of the best ice-cream shops and gelaterie anywhere. The real deal is a refreshing breeze to make properly at home – all you need for a big mint flavour is a big bunch of mint. To keep it from oxidising (browning) in the gelato, the mint needs rapid blanching first, then rapid cooling to keep the flavour fresh. Before you start, ready yourself with a pan of unsalted boiling water and a bowl of iced water too.

Stracciatella (meaning ‘raggedy’) is like a choc-chip, where molten chocolate is run through the gelato towards the end ofits manufacture, creating fine chocolate shreds. You could omit the stracciatella for a plain mint gelato. But why would you?

Makes about 1 litre / 15 scoops

For the base bianca (yields 800ml)

130g granulated or caster sugar 40g skimmed milk powder Stabiliser: 1 level teaspoon

locust bean gum powder; or 2 tablespoons starch (arrowroot or cornflour)

640ml whole milk

40g glucose (aka dextrose) syrup or powder, or light runny honey

For the mint stracciatella gelato

200g mint, with stalks (2 really big bunches)

150ml double cream

50g dextrose powder or icing sugar 45g dark chocolate (70%), chopped

15g cocoa butter or coconut oil

To make the base bianca

1. In a small bowl, stir the sugar, milk powder and stabiliser powder together
2. Put the milk and glucose or runny honey in a Heat gently until barely simmering.
3. Pour the contents of the bowl into the warm milk mixture in a steady stream, stirring as you go. Continue to stir until the mixture just returns to the boil, then remove from the heat.
4. Cover the pan and leave the base to cool to room or fridge (It will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge if allowed to cool, then refrigerated immediately.)

To make the mint stracciatella gelato

7. Have ready a large pan of boiling water and a bowl of iced
8. Blanch the mint for literally 10 seconds in the boiling water (stalks and all), then drain and immediately refresh in the iced water.
9. Drain the mint again and squeeze it
10. Blend the mint finely with the cream, dextrose powder or icing sugar and the base bianca, until it looks like a green
11. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing to get all the goodness (Discard the contents of the sieve.)
12. Transfer the verdant liquid to your ice-cream machine and churn until fully firm.
13. While the gelato is churning, gently melt together the chocolate and cocoa butter or coconut oil in a bowl set over a small pan of simmering (Or, use a microwave on low.) Allow the melted chocolate mixture to cool almost to room temperature.
14. When the gelato is as firm as you’d normally say it was ready, but certainly before it balls up on the paddle, pour in the chocolate in a steadystream with the ice-cream machine still The paddle will break the chocolate mixture into shards as it solidifies. A slower pour will yield finerstrands; faster will be chunkier.
15. Before serving, put the mint stracciatella in the freezer for half an hour or so to firm If it has been stored in the freezer longer and is too firm,allow it to soften in the fridge until scoopable.

Variations

• Substitute the mint with coriander, then use milk chocolate in place of dark
• Substitute the mint with half the amount in basil and use white chocolate in place of dark
• Omit the chocolate altogether – mint gelato without stracciatella is arguably just as nice, only different.

Ricotta & Sour Cherry Gelato

Sour cherries are fêted across mainland Europe for their concentrated flavour and lip-smacking zing. The classic amarena gelato is simple fior di latte variegated with sour cherry conserve.

Outside of the gelateria, sour cherries are most often served with a custard, or with ricotta – famously in the Jewish bakery Boccione, in Rome’s ghetto, where they serve sour cherry and ricotta pie blackened and warm from the oven. In honour of this, I make my amarena with a ricotta base, and I like it better than plain sour cherry – it has a subtle cheesecake complexity and richness. This gelato has become Gelupo’s signature, if there is one.

For the ricotta base (yields 1 litre)

170g granulated or caster sugar 30g skimmed milk powder Stabiliser: 1 level teaspoon

locust bean gum powder; or 2 tablespoons starch (arrowroot or cornflour)

375ml whole milk

50g glucose (aka dextrose) syrup or powder, or light runny honey

200ml double cream 250g sheep’s milk ricotta

¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

For the ricotta & sour cherry gelato

60g amarena variegato or 100g sour cherry jam or compote

TIP: Amarena variegato is a sour cherry compote made for gelato – some brands, like Fabbri, are available online.

To make the ricotta base (makes about 1 litre / 15 scoops)

1. In a small bowl, stir the sugar, milk powder and stabiliser powder together
2. Put the milk and glucose or runny honey in a Heat gently until barely simmering.
3. Pour the contents of the bowl into the warm milk mixture in a steady stream, stirring as you go. Continue to stir until the mixture just returns to the boil, then remove from the heat.
4. Stir in the cream and leave the mixture to cool to about 50°C (just too hot to keep your fingertip in).
5. Add the ricotta and almond extract (if using) and blend until
6. Cover the base and leave to cool to room or fridge (It will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge if allowed to cool, then refrigerated immediately.)

To make the ricotta & sour cherry gelato

1. Churn the ricotta base in your ice-cream machine until fully firm.
2. Transfer the churned gelato to a freezer container and marble through the amarena variegato or sour cherry jam or compote to ripple.
3. Before serving, put the ricotta and sour cherry gelato in the freezer for half an hour or so to firm. If it has been stored in the freezer longer and is too firm, allow it to soften in the fridge until scoopable.

Variation

Make this into a ricotta and sour cherry stracciatella, using the same quantity of chocolate and cocoa butter (and the same method) as in the mint stracciatella recipe (before you extract the gelato from the ice-cream machine). Most people, including me, think this gelato is better without the chocolate, but not everyone is the same.

Aperol Granita

Aperitivo time – and the omnipresent spritz – is the Veneto’s gift to the world. You can make a great spritz with Aperol (thelurid orange one) or Campari, or perhaps best with Select. And every spritz has its corresponding granita – just use the recipebelow and substitute the aperitivo of your choosing.

Makes about 1 litre / Serves 5–8

For the Aperol granita

500ml prosecco (or dry white wine)

300ml Aperol

200ml water

100g caster sugar

To make the Aperol granita

1. In a bowl, stir all the ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Transfer the mixture to a wide dish and put it in the Once it starts to freeze at theedges, every 10–15 minutes stir it with a fork or whisk it, until the mixture is almost completelyfrozen and icy (this will take a long time – perhaps 4 hours). It is ready to serve in this slightlywet, slushy state.
3. To keep it longer, let it freeze solid, then before serving take it out to thaw for 20 minutes or so, breaking it up with a fork. (Chill your serving glasses for at least 20 minutes in the freezer before you serve.)

Variations

• Substitute Campari or Aperitivo Select for the Aperol
• Substitute white port, red Ruby port or medium sherry for the Aperol and then also replace the prosecco with tonic water
• Replace both the Aperol and prosecco with sparkling Moscato d’Asti.

Recipes taken from Gelupo Gelato: A Delectable Palette of Ice Cream Recipes by Jacob Kenedy and published by Bloomsbury, 27 May 2021.