Gelato / Sorbet [ Per Scoop ] Recipe

Warm milk and cream

Combine 0.25 cups whole milk and 0.125 cups heavy cream in a small saucepan. Add 0.03 cups granulated sugar, 0.01 cups invert sugar (if using) and 0.125 tsp salt. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot but not boiling (about 160–170°F / 71–77°C).

Temper egg yolk

In a small bowl whisk 1 egg yolk lightly. Slowly drizzle about 1–2 tablespoons of the hot milk mixture into the yolk while whisking constantly to temper. This prevents scrambling.

Cook custard

Pour the tempered yolk back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over low–medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens lightly and coats the back of the spoon (about 170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not boil.

Infuse and cool

If using vanilla bean, add scraped seeds when heating then remove pod. For chocolate, whisk in 0.5 tsp cocoa powder until smooth. Remove custard from heat. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl to ensure silky texture. Stir in 0.125 tsp vanilla extract if using. Allow to cool at room temperature for 15–20 minutes, then chill in the fridge until cold (at least 1 hour) or place in an ice bath to speed up.

Churn

Once fully chilled, churn in a small ice-cream maker according to manufacturer directions until it reaches a soft-gelato consistency (shorter churn than ice cream). For a single scoop quantity, churn 10–15 minutes on a small machine or until thickened.

Harden briefly

Spoon the churned gelato into a shallow chilled container and freeze for 20–40 minutes to firm up to scoopable texture. If you plan to serve immediately, 10–15 minutes in the freezer will usually suffice.

Sweeten and stabilize purée

If making sorbet instead of gelato, use 0.25 cups fruit purée and combine with 0.03 cups granulated sugar, 0.01 cups invert sugar (optional) and 0.125 tsp salt in a small bowl. Stir until sugar begins to dissolve. Taste — adjust sugar to balance the fruit's acidity; for very sweet fruit reduce sugar slightly, for tart fruit increase by up to 0.02 cups.

Heat to dissolve (optional)

For smoother texture, gently warm the mixture in a small saucepan just to dissolve sugar (do not boil) then cool completely. Alternatively, dissolve sugar in 1–2 tbsp warm water first, then stir into cold purée.

Churn sorbet

Churn the chilled or cooled fruit base in an ice-cream maker until it reaches a thick, scoopable sorbet consistency (8–12 minutes for small batch machines).

Freeze briefly

Transfer to a shallow container and freeze 20–40 minutes to firm to scoopable texture. Sorbets often need slightly less time than custard-based files.

Add extract, puree, or mix-ins

For vanilla, add 0.125 tsp extract to the custard after straining and before chilling. For chocolate, incorporate cocoa powder during heating. For nut, chocolate chip or citrus zest additions, fold 0.5 tsp chopped mix-ins or 0.125 tsp zest into the gelato near the end of churning or immediately after churning so they distribute evenly.

Alcohol or liqueur

If using a few drops of liqueur (0.125 tsp), stir it into churned gelato or sorbet after churning. Alcohol lowers freezing point — keep quantity small to avoid excessively soft texture.

Scoop and garnish

Scoop one portion (about 1/2 cup / ~120 ml) using a warm ice-cream scoop for a clean release. Sprinkle a tiny pinch (0.125 tsp) flaky sea salt or a touch of citrus zest if desired.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the coldest part of the freezer. Use within 1–2 weeks for best texture and flavor. Allow to sit at room temperature 5–10 minutes before scooping if very hard.