Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Avocado Gelato


We all know that it’s a good health practice to consume 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.  This is not always easy, but what if I told you that one of these servings could be had in the form of dessert?  A creamy and delicious frozen dessert, namely gelato!  Hard to believe?  Maybe, but it’s true.  I was a bit skeptical myself, but when I found I had a few extra avocados left after making a big batch of guacamole, I figured, why not give it a try?  Having made a variety of flavors of gelato in the past (I ran rampant after returning from a trip to Italy), I was expecting a lot of egg separating and a half an hour of bicep-building stirring.  This recipe requires neither.  Cornstarch thickens the mixture beautifully, and the rich and creamy, buttery smoothness of the avocado replaces the eggs and cream.  The end result is nothing short of amazing!  The taste is fresh, clean, and lightly citrus-y, the texture is as creamy as the finest gelato I’ve ever eaten.  This is one vegetable that your family is really going to enjoy!

Avocado Gelato

2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
3 (4- by 1-inch) strips fresh orange zest
Pinch of Kosher salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons key lime juice
1 teaspoon key lime zest

Bring 1 3/4 cups milk, 1/2 cup sugar, orange zest, and a pinch of salt to a simmer in a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl until smooth, then whisk into the simmering milk mixture. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, and boil for 1-2 minutes, until thickened. Transfer mixture to a metal bowl, then set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and cool completely, stirring frequently. Discard zest.

Quarter, pit, and peel avocados, then purée with key lime juice and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor until smooth. Add milk mixture and blend well.  Stir in lime zest.

Freeze avocado mixture in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until hardened, about 1 hour.

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7 comments:

  1. Wow, Pattie, I can just taste the cool, creamy refreshing flavor in my mouth! Very nice indeed!

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  2. OMG, I'm definitely not a recipe person, but this is one I'm going to try. So Italian, so beautiful. One of the most spectacular simple desserts ever tasted was in Rome at the Cavalieri Waldorf, layers of fresh herds alternating with gelatos. This is fabulous sounding. xx's

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  3. This looks SO refreshing! I will definitely have to try it. Thanks so much for linking up with "Try a New Recipe Tuesday." :-)

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  4. My parents love avocado (often eating it with just a spoon)! I think this is one gelato they'd like. :)

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  5. Another delicious creation - I'm featuring this in today's Food Fetish Friday (with a link-back and attribution). I hope you have no objections and I always love dropping by to see what you've created...

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Thank you so much for commenting, I love every one of them! I am, however, unable to respond to anonymous comments.