At the end of a scrumptious seashore meal, there’s nothing quite like a scoop (or two!) of a creamy frozen dessert. Gelato, the decadent export from Italy, and ice cream, an American summertime convention, are high on the list of go-to frozen goodies; however, what’s the difference between the two?
The Differences Between Gelato and Ice Cream Are …
Here we’ll explain the key differences in components, churning approach, taste, texture, and serving fashion of these two delectable treats.
The Ingredients
Both gelato and ice cream contain cream, milk, and sugar—the basics of any good creamy frozen dessert. But gelato typically uses few egg yolks or none at all, as is the case with Sicilian gelato. It also uses a decreasing percentage of cream, which means much less butterfat (fats from cream and milk) in the combination. The FDA requires ice cream to include at least 10% butterfat by way of weighing, ranging to as much as 25%. By the usage of less cream, gelato reaches the best 4% to 9% butterfat.
The Churning Method
Churning is required to make both frozen cakes. First, ice cream is churned at high speeds, infusing massive amounts of whipped air into the product. Additionally, the excessive butterfat content of ice cream permits it to absorb greater air. By giving up the manner, ice cream is as much as 50% air and has doubled in quantity. This boom in volume is referred to as “overrun.” On the other hand, gelato is churned greater slowly and has less butterfat, so less air is absorbed—the overrun reaches about 25% to 30% in churning.
The Serving Style
At their respective stores, ice cream and gelato are served in slightly distinct ways. Ice cream is stored at a brisk 0 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit, the best temperature wherein it’s scoopable but holds a nice round form atop a cone. Gelato is served hotter—10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit—so it remains gentle and creamy. In addition, ice cream is served with the traditional scoop we realize and love, while traditional gelato is nice served with a spoon.
The Taste and Texture
All those tweaks in elements and technique result in principal variations in the flavor and texture of what ends up on your spoon. When you devour ice cream, all that cold butterfat coats your tongue and barely dulls your capability to feel the flavor. Gelato’s lower butterfat percentage approach may enhance the flavors, greater for this reason, the improved richness of gelato. The variations in whipped air also affect texture: gelato has a dense consistency, whereas ice cream’s texture feels mild and fluffy.
Our Favorite Frozen Dessert Recipes
With all this talk of ice cream and gelato, who’s equipped for a candy deal with? We endorse cooling off after an extended day at the seashore with these crowd-fascinating frozen desserts.
The Best Ice Cream Sandwich Ever
Sure, you can use basic store-bought cookies for this dessert. However, we decided to pair our extra-chocolatey rich, er recipe with your favorite ice cream flavor for an unrivaled decadent dessert.
Nut-Crusted Key Lime Ice Cream Cupcake
It isn’t easy to enhance upon the coastal conventional Key lime pie, but those delicious ice cream concoctions certainly take the (cup)cake.
Strawberry, Mango, and Pistachio Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches
Think of these as a grown-up ice cream sandwich. We paired ice lotions in quite a pastel sun shades with ethereal macaron cookies—a healthy, hand-made-in sandwich heaven.
