Ingredients
3 cups Classic White Gelato base or Vegan Coconut base (see below)
1 cup canned pumpkin, preferably One Pie
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup Wild Turkey bourbon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
3/4 cup chopped maple cinnamon pecans or nut brittle
1/4 cup smooth caramel sauce
In a large bowl, whisk together the Classic White Gelato base, pumpkin, bourbon, and molasses until mixture is smooth and uniform in color. Add the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice and whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Place in a covered container and refrigerate until cold, 4 hours or overnight. Place the chopped maple cinnamon pecans or nut brittle in a covered container in the freezer. Chill a 2-quart metal bowl in the freezer.
Once the base has chilled, churn it in your home ice cream maker. When the gelato is done freezing scoop gelato into a cold bowl. Add the cold chopped pecans or nut brittle and caramel sauce and fold together so the pieces are evenly distributed. The caramel sauce will be a little difficult to pour out of the fridge but it should not be hot. Once combined cover the bowl and put in back into the freezer.
Yield: 50 oz. (about 3 pints)
Classic White Gelato Base
1/2 cup cream
3 cups whole milk
7/8 cup skim milk powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp guar gum or 3 egg yolks
In a small bowl thoroughly combine 1/3 of the sugar until the mixture is homogenous.
In a medium pot, combine cream, milk, skim milk powder, remaining 2/3 sugar and salt over low heat. Slowly whisk the sugar and guar gum into the milk while it's still cool (or if you use the eggs to thicken the base, while constantly whisking [so the eggs don't cook], slowly pour about a third of the hot cream mixture into the yolks and sugar mixture. Then, carefully but quickly whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the remaining cream.)
Gently bring the mixture up to a simmer, whisking often to incorporate all of the ingredients. Cook until the sugar and skim milk powder dissolve completely. This should take about 5 minutes. Turn the burner to medium-low. Keep an eye on the mixture and continue to stir with a spoon instead of the whisk (no need to be too vigorous - you are just trying to keep the mixture moving). Once the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon - which will be about 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer - you will need to strain it.
Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Cool to room temperature as fas as possible and then cover it and chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours, or overnight.
If you can't wait, you can pour the warm mixture into a zip top freezer bag. Carefully seal the bag and remove as much air as possible. With the bag securely sealed, submerge the liquid into a large bowl of ice water. Manipulate the liquid (squish it around) so it cools quickly. Pour out some of the water and add more ice to the bowl as the water warms. For us, this took about 25 minutes.
Once the base has chilled, churn it in your home ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Yield: 45 oz. (about 3 pints)
Vegan Coconut Base
1 can Goya coconut milk
2/3 cup Goya coconut cream
1 tbls coconut oil
1 3/4 cup water
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp guar gum
In a medium-sized pot, combine the coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut oil, water, salt, and sugar over low heat. Gently bring the mixture up to a simmer, whisking to incorporate all of the ingredients. Cook until the sugar and coconut oil dissolve completely. Sprinkle guar gum over the top of the mixture and stir in. Continue to whisk until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. This should take about five minutes, once the mixture has started simmering. Remove the pot from the heat.
Once the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon - which will be about 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer - you'll be ready to strain it. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Cool to room temperature as fast as possible, then cover and chill for at least four hours or overnight.
Once the base has chilled, churn it in your home ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Yield: 36 oz. (about 2 pints)
To learn more about the recipe book, "Gelato Fiasco: Recipes and Stories From America's Best Gelato Makers," click here.