Basil Honey Walnut Gelato

The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

Basil, honey and walnut gelato is the perfect way to use up that expanding basil plant in your garden this summer.

Ingredients

• 2 cup fresh basil leaves (I used half dried, half fresh)
•  2 cup whole mlk
•  ½ cup white granulated sugar 
• ¼ cup honey
•  ⅛ tsp salt 
• 5 large egg yolks
•  1 cup heavy cream 
• 1 cup chopped walnut

Directions

1. Place the basil, milk, sugar, honey and salt in your blender. Puree until smooth.
2. Transfer to a heavy bottomed pot and heat until it comes to a simmer.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and a small amount of the hot milk to temper the yolks.
4. While whisking the milk, slowly drizzle in the egg yolks and continue to cook over medium heat until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
5. Place the heavy cream in a medium bowl set over an ice bath with a strainer on top.
6. Pour the custard through the strainer into the heavy cream, discarding any solids.
7. Stir thoroughly and let the custard cool completely – about an hour and a half in the refrigerator or overnight.
8. Churn the gelato in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers directions and in the last minute, churn in the chopped walnuts.
9. Scoop into a freezer safe container and place in the freezer to set for at least 4 hours.
10. Gelato tends to freeze harder than ice cream, so you may need to let it sit out for a few minutes before enjoying.

 

I used half fresh cinnamon basil, and half dried sweet basil.

We get our milk fresh from a local farm, so for the cream I just skimmed some off the top.

 Place the basil, milk, sugar, honey, and salt in your blender. Puree until smooth.

 Transfer to a heavy bottomed pot and heat until it comes to a simmer.

 To separate the yolks from the whites, I crack the egg in half and pour it back and forth a couple times into the shell. The white part slides out into the bowl below. 

 

Save those egg whites for an omelet or something! I used mine the following day to brush on bread that was baking to give it a nice crunchy crust. 

 In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and a small amount of the hot milk to temper the yolks.

While whisking the milk in the pot, slowly drizzle in the egg yolks and continue to cook over medium heat until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon.



Place the heavy cream in a medium bowl set over an ice bath with a strainer on top.

                                        Pour the custard through the strainer into the heavy cream, discarding of any solids.

Stir thoroughly and let the custard cool completely – about an hour and a half in the refrigerator or overnight.

 Churn the gelato in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers directions and in the last minute, churn in the chopped walnuts.

Scoop into freezer-safe container and place in the freezer to set for at least 4 hours.

Top with additional walnuts and honey, if desired, and enjoy!