This frozen custard-based gelato is flavored with vanilla and almond extracts and features a salted caramel sauce ribbon swirl. Rich, buttery, smooth, and creamy, it takes ice cream to new flavor heights!
Make the custard base: Heat the milk and heavy cream in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles form and it starts to steam. This takes about 6 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the sugar is dissolved.
Gently heat the egg mixture by slowly adding ½ cup of the warmed milk mixture to the egg mixture while continuously whisking. Add another ½ cup of the milk mixture and whisk again. This process is called tempering the eggs, and its purpose is to heat the eggs slowly, preventing them from curdling while the pudding cooks.
Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat (don't let it boil). Cook until the custard has thickened, stirring constantly, about 4 to 6 minutes. It should coat the back of the spoon and leave a trail when you draw your finger through it.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. If the custard boiled during thickening, straining it out will help remove any curdled bits of egg.
Cool the base using an ice bath (½ ice cubes, ½ water, reaching halfway up the sides of the bowl). Stir the custard occasionally until it's cooled to room temperature (a digital thermometer should read about 80 °F).
Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the custard and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Chilled custard can be kept in the refrigerator for several days. For the best results, make sure the base is about 40 °F prior to churning.
Churn the gelato: Pour the cold base into an ice cream maker and freeze per the manufacturer’s instructions, about 25 to 30 minutes. The finished gelato will have a soft consistency.
Layer in the caramel sauce: Transfer ⅓ of the gelato to a freezer-safe container and drizzle ⅓ of the caramel sauce over it. Repeat layering with remaining gelato and caramel sauce, then smooth the top using a small offset spatula.
Ripen the gelato: Freeze the gelato for 2 to 4 hours to allow it to firm up, a process called ripening. Serve and enjoy!
Storage instructions: Homemade gelato will last for up to a month in a plastic freezer container placed in the rear of the freezer. After that, the gelato may develop ice crystals and lose its creamy texture.
Notes
If you want to leave out the almond extract, just increase the vanilla extract to 1½ teaspoons. Better yet, infuse the milk mixture with a fresh vanilla bean, halved and scraped, letting it steep in the warm milk 30 minutes before tempering in the egg. Remove the spent bean before tempering the mixture into the eggs.To make the Salted Caramel Sauce, prepare a Basic Caramel Sauce and add 1 teaspoon of salt after you remove the caramel from the heat. You won't need the entire amount, but then you have some to drizzle on top of your scoop!The ice cream maker I'm using is a KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment for my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Another good option is a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.For even more almond flavor and texture, consider adding ½ cup of chopped toasted almonds in during the last 30 seconds of churning.