Sour Cherries and Cream Gelato
Stone fruit lovers rejoice: it’s cherry season.
Sweet cherries are lining the grocery store shelves and market stands right now, deep red juicy globes calling out to passersby to come scoop them up. And for about a month every year, we all get the privilege of enjoying their zingy sweetness.
About Sour Cherries
Sour cherries can be a bit more difficult to find fresh, but my goodness are they worth seeking out. Bright neon red, bursting with juice, and extremely tart, these elusive jewels have captivated me. After picking up a couple pints at the Union Square Greenmarket, I proceeded to eat as many plain as I could—about 6 until my lips puckered. Then, I set out to utilize them in a way that would really showcase their flavor while taming their punch.
Pie is the obvious answer, but I wanted to try something different. Something that would showcase their tartness rather than covering them up with sugar. So, what you’ll notice about this gelato recipe is that it does not contain vanilla! This is essentially a traditional fior di latte (Italian for “flower of milk”) gelato which gently encases a generous portion of sour cherries, which are roasted to soften their bite and intensify their flavor. Use the best quality milk and cream possible, as you can really taste their flavor here without the addition of any extracts.
Inspiration
This recipe is based on the wonderful work of pastry genius Stella Parks; here’s the link to her Serious Eats article on gelato that helped me develop this recipe. I opted to up the ratio of cream to milk because I prefer the slightly higher fat content and more pronounced cream flavor, even if not truly authentic to gelato in its purest form. I also added a bit more sugar since we’re barely sweetening the sour cherries.
The final product is delicately intense flavored, with sweet cream coating the tongue and intense sour cherries accenting every bite.
Sour Cherries and Cream Gelato Recipe
Makes about 4 1/2 cups
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, grass fed preferred
2 cups whole milk, grass fed preferred
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups fresh sour cherries, pitted, or 2 cups canned sour cherries, drained
Method
24 hours before you intend to make gelato, place the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer.
Whisk together 1 1/2 cups sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan until thoroughly combined. Place pan on stove over medium-high heat. Add 1.5 cups of milk and whisk until dry mixture is dissolved. Bring to a boil and hold for 60 seconds (set a timer), stirring constantly, to ensure cornstarch is fully hydrated.
Immediately remove from heat and stir in remaining milk and cream. Taste and add any additional salt, keeping in mind that all flavors become less pronounced once frozen and salt is a flavor enhancer. Cover and chill completely in fridge; 40°F is the target temperature prior to churning.
While base is cooling, preheat oven to 375°F. Toss cherries with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar on a sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes, until juices are sticky and bubbling and cherries have softened but not browned. Remove cherries and their juice from pan and set aside in a small bowl to chill completely. Once chilled, lightly tear apart or chop cherries into small bits and drain some juice so that they are still plump and moist but not dripping wet and set aside during churning.
Once base is cool, churn according to ice cream maker’s instructions. In the last minute of churning, add cherries slowly, spoonful by spoonful, until evenly distributed through gelato. Remove from ice cream maker and freeze in an airtight container until completely solid, at least 4 hours.
Gelato is traditionally served at a warmer temperature than ice cream, which contributes to its texture. Remove from the freezer 20 minutes before serving, scoop, and enjoy.
Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks.
