Like the Butterscotch Budino (page 272), this gelato marries the sweet flavor of caramel with a touch of salt, a combination I love. It is the base of the Caramel Coppetta, a sundae composed of Marshmallow Sauce and Salted Spanish Peanuts (page 296). Even made in a home ice cream maker, it comes out dense and creamy, and I would say one of the real successes of a long gelato-making project involving a team of gelato-obsessed taste testers.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 quart

　　6 extra-large egg yolks

　　1/4 cup cornstarch

　　3 cups whole milk

　　1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder

　　2 tablespoons light corn syrup

　　3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

　　2 whole vanilla beans

　　1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　1 cup heavy whipping cream

　　

Step 1

Fill a large bowl with ice water and set a smaller bowl inside. Set a fine-mesh strainer in the smaller bowl. Whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch together in a medium bowl. Combine the milk, milk powder, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar (reserving 1 cup of the sugar to make the caramel) in a medium (4-quart) saucepan and whisk to break up and dissolve the milk powder. Using a small, sharp knife, split the vanilla beans lengthwise. Use the back of the knife to scrape out the seeds and pulp and add the scrapings and the beans to the pan with the milk. Heat the milk mixture over high heat until it begins to bubble and then immediately turn off the heat. Slowly add 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to the bowl with the eggs, whisking constantly as you add it. Continue to add the milk 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly, until you have added about half of the milk, or enough to warm the eggs slightly. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the pot with the milk, return the pot to medium-low heat, and cook, stirring constantly with the whisk or a wooden spoon, taking care not to let the custard boil or the eggs will curdle, until the gelato base thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

　　

Step 2

Pour the gelato base through the strainer into the bowl set over the ice water and discard the vanilla beans. Stir in the vanilla extract and set aside to cool to room temperature.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, to make the caramel, combine the remaining 1 cup sugar with 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan (preferably with a light-colored bottom) and cook the sugar over high heat without stirring, brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to remove the sugar crystals and tilting the pan so the sugar cooks evenly, until it is dark brown and smoking, 15 to 20 minutes. Gradually add the burnt sugar to the base, whisking constantly until the sugar is thoroughly combined and the gelato base is a homogenous color. Transfer the base to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least several hours and up to three days.

　　

Step 4

Remove the base from the refrigerator, pour it into a bowl, and stir in the cream. Pour the base into the bowl of an ice cream or gelato maker and spin it according to the machine instructions. Serve the gelato straight from the maker or transfer it to an airtight container and place in the freezer until you’re ready to serve it. Serve the gelato within a few hours of spinning it, before it hardens.

　　The Mozza Cookbook