Chef's Seasonal Gelato Highwire Recipe

Warm dairy

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 3 tbs granulated sugar, 1 tbs invert sugar (if using), and the split vanilla bean (scraped seeds and pod). Warm over medium heat until just steaming and edges show small bubbles, about 6–8 minutes. Remove from heat and let infuse 20 minutes if you have time (remove vanilla pod before proceeding).

Temper eggs

Whisk 3 egg yolks lightly in a bowl. Rewarm the infused milk mixture until hot but not boiling. Slowly pour about 1/3 cup of the hot milk into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper. Repeat with another 1/3 cup to raise the yolk temperature.

Cook custard

Pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula (170–175°F / 77–80°C) and leaves a clear line when you run your finger across the spatula, about 5–8 minutes. Do not boil.

Finish and chill

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any coagulated bits and the vanilla pod. Stir in 1 tsp fine sea salt. If using vanilla extract instead of bean, stir it in now (about 1 tsp). Cool the mixture quickly: place the bowl in an ice bath and stir until it reaches room temperature, then cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight to fully chill and develop flavor.

Churn and freeze

Once chilled, churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until it reaches a soft-gelato consistency (usually 20–25 minutes). Transfer to a shallow container, smooth the surface, press plastic wrap directly on top, and freeze for 1–2 hours to firm slightly before serving.

Make simple syrup

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup water and 3 tbs granulated sugar. Heat gently, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Blend fruit

Place 2 cups hulled fresh strawberries and 1 tbs fresh lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Add cooled simple syrup. Puree until completely smooth.

Strain and chill

For a silky sorbet, press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity with small additions of sugar or lemon. Chill the puree in the refrigerator until fully cold, about 30–60 minutes.

Churn and freeze

Churn the chilled puree in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until it reaches a sorbet consistency (15–20 minutes). Transfer to a shallow container and freeze 1–2 hours to firm. Keep covered until ready to serve.

Warm dairy with cocoa

In a small saucepan whisk together 1 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 tbs granulated sugar and 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder until smooth. Warm over medium heat until steaming and cocoa fully dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Melt chocolate and combine

Remove from heat and whisk in 2 oz finely chopped dark chocolate until fully melted and smooth. Whisk in 1 tbs hazelnut paste (or 1 tbs finely ground toasted hazelnuts) and 1/4 tsp fine sea salt. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (2–4 hours or overnight).

Churn and finish

Churn the chilled mixture in an ice cream maker per manufacturer instructions until it reaches gelato consistency (about 20 minutes). Transfer to a shallow container, smooth the surface, press plastic wrap directly on top, and freeze 1–2 hours to set slightly ahead of service.

Prepare serving cones

Place 12 mini cones in a row on a clean board or tray. If you like, warm cones briefly in a low oven (250°F / 120°C) for 2–3 minutes to crisp, then cool.

Portion gelatos and sorbet

Using a small scoop or teaspoon sized to fit the mini cones, place one portion of each frozen flavor into successive cones: start with a small scoop of Vanilla Bean Gelato in cone 1, Seasonal Fruit Sorbet (strawberry) in cone 2, Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato in cone 3, and continue repeating the sequence until you have filled all 12 cones so there is one of each in a repeating row. Work quickly to keep gelatos from melting; keep bases chilled and return unused gelato to the freezer between scooping.

Garnish and serve

For each cone, lightly press a pinch of toasted chopped hazelnuts on the chocolate gelato cones, and tuck a small mint leaf beside each strawberry sorbet cone if desired. Serve the row immediately on a long board or tray, chilled if possible.

Make ahead and timing notes

All three frozen components can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the freezer. Remove from freezer 3–5 minutes before assembly to get scoopable texture. Total hands-on assembly time for the row is about 10–15 minutes.