Espresso Gelato

Espresso Gelato
Recipe by chow.com

Gelato is a semi-frozen dessert, so remove your homemade gelato from the freezer 15 to 20 minutes before serving, and thaw.  I stir the gelato right before serving, bringing it to the correct temperature and giving it a good texture.  

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons , plus 1 teaspoon finely ground espresso beans
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

Directions:

Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large heatproof bowl and set aside.

Combine 2 cups of the milk and the cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally (so a skin doesn't form), until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl until smooth.  Gradually whisk in the sugar until incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow, about two minutes.

Slowly pour the milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously so that the hot mixture doesn't scramble the eggs. Return the custard to the saucepan.

Cook over low heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat the spoon.  (When you draw your finger across the spoon, it should make a mark through the mixture, which should not run back in on itself.)  Do not bring to a boil.

Pour the mixture through the fine-mesh strainer and into the prepared bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes or so.  (To cool the base quickly, make an ice water bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water and placing bowl the bowl of espresso base in it; stir the base until cool.)

Cover and refrigerate the base until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup milk and 3 tablespoons of the ground espresso beans in a small saucepan.  Place over medium heat and bring just to a simmer.  Remove from heat and set aside to steep for 20 minutes.  Pour the milk mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid; discard the solids.  Add the instant espresso powder and stir until dissolved. Refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes.

Gently whisk the milk-espresso mixture into the gelato base, then whisk in the remaining 1 teaspoon ground espresso beans.  Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 3 hours before serving.  The gelato will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 week.