Strawberry-Lemon Gelato

I am always on the hunt for a good gelato recipe, but none that I have ever tried come close to the wonderful flavor and texture of Italian gelato. This recipe was adapted from Biba's Italian Kitchen. The recipe is simple and the flavor is good, it's just not the real thing. This makes only a very small amount, 2-4 servings, so keep that in mind if you make this one. This would have been even better if I had added some grated lemon zest, but I did not think of it at the time.

Strawberry-Lemon Gelato

1 lb. fresh strawberries,washed, hulled and cut in half

1/2 cup sugar

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup cold whipping cream, beaten to a medium thick consistency

Put strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in food processor and process until smooth. Pour into the bowl of an ice cream freezer. Run for 8 to 10 minutes. Add whipped cream and run for 5 minutes longer or until the mixture has a smooth fluffy texture.

Serve immediately or freeze until ready to serve. If made ahead of time, place in the refrigerator15 to 20 minutes before serving to soften up.

Lemon Cream Gelato

For dessert on New Year's Eve I served this recipe that I adapted from one of my favorite magazines, Tastes of Italia. The recipe makes a very thick custard, almost a little too eggy for what I would consider true Gelato. It was very good fresh and okay by the third day. Try to prepare and serve this the same day.

The only thing I changed in the recipe was that they called for 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon zest. I used the zest of 2 lemons, finely chopped. This made about 2 1/2 teaspoons. It adds such a nice subtle lemon flavor to this frozen treat. This will make 4 to 6 servings.

I received an ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer this Christmas. This was the perfect recipe for testing out the attachment. It worked quickly and quietly. We had gelato in about 15 minutes. What a great gift and and a great attachment!

Lemon Cream Gelato

2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon zest

In a medium saucepan, heat milk and cream over medium heat until bubbles form at edge of pan. Remove pan from heat. In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs and sugar until well blended. Slowly add milk mixture, continuing to beat. Stir in vanilla and lemon zest. Return mixture to saucepan and heat on medium for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture slightly thickens. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Pour into bowl and refrigerate for 3 hours. Process chilled mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.