Combine an icy Cabernet treat with chocolate shards and make this amazing light dessert. Cabernet Gelato with Chocolate Shards is perfect for summer get togethers; it’s unique, sophisticated and simply delicious.
I started this week off with a bang; I didn’t get this recipe completed in time to post with a group that I’m a part of. A group I started so I really feel some extra responsibility. But the good news? We’ve all been there. I simply ran out of time this weekend.
Even better news? Everyone in the group was gracious and insisted I not drop out but post a bit later so here I am! We truly are Progressive! 🙂
I never seem to have the luxury of playing all weekend; even with a now four year old house, I still think of long weekends as the opportunity to get a project done. This past weekend it was all about the deck I had built this time last year; it was time to stain it and I was the person in charge.
Ah, well, I was also the person doing all the work…doggone I need a team to be in charge of and I could just sit and enjoy this Cabernet Gelato with Chocolate Shards while someone else does the hard labor…what was I thinking??
So while I should have been making an icy treat I was prepping the deck with cleaner, staining it, and then after 24 hours of letting it dry, moving all the furniture out of my back yard back onto the deck and arranging it. That’s the part that probably ate up as much time as anything…I’m definitely a re-arranger!
But now it’s done and it’s time to enjoy it so I invited some friends over yesterday to an early barbecue. I slept a bit too late, I forgot I had to treat eight huge couch cushions with Scotchgard and ahem, the part I totally spaced? This gelato is cooked to incorporate some cornstarch into the mix to make sure it thickens nicely and it had to completely cool before I could even think of churning it.
Gelato is not made with heavy cream, it’s normally a combination of milk, bit of half and half and flavorings. Since my third component was going to be wine and I would be eliminating some of the milk, I upped the half and half ratio that I used in this recipe for a Sicilain Chocolate Gelato with Bourbon and Chocolate Chips to balance the creaminess a bit.
I used a technique when making this gelato called Stracciatella; it’s a big, hard to pronounce word that has multiple meanings but in this case it means that melted chocolate is dripped into the ice cream mixture at the end of the cycle when it is already firmed and moving easily in the machine but not quite ready. The result is heavenly and adds flakes of chocolate to the gelato and I prefer it tenfold over the simplicity of adding chocolate chips.
The shards that are created from this technique melt in your mouth, something I honestly don’t think chocolate chips do well. Plus by creating your own chocolate mixture you can vary it significantly. I usually prefer a combination of half semi-sweet chocolate with half milk chocolate but if you’re all dark chocolate all the time; then do that. White chocolate could even be fun in a dark mixture like this one.
Luckily the one thing I knew would make this easy once I got to it was my ice cream maker. No longer the hour of churning by hand thankfully, this Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker does make the process simple once the ingredients are ready. I think I sold my neighbor who had never seen one; he was still thinking hand crank!
This is not a super sweet ice cream; don’t get me wrong it’s sweet but just enough for an adult palate that lets the wine come through. It’s not a cheap ice cream because I used an entire bottle of wine that I simmered down to one cup, but it will serve more than a bottle of wine would, so next time you have guests, forgo that last after dinner tipple and serve this instead; it’s absolutely worth it!
Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. Each recipe in our menu this month features Frozen Treats – to welcome the beautiful summer months. Our host this month is Ansh from Spiceroots .
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.
Frozen Treats
Cocktails & Other Beverages
- Frozen Mudslide (dessert AND a drink: a twofer) from Susan – The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Sangria Slushies from Karen – Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Desserts
- Cabernet Ice Cream with Chocolate Shards from Barb – Creative Culinary (You’re Here!)
- Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches from Coleen – The Redhead Baker
- Dulce De leche Mango Kulfi from Ansh – Spiceroots
- Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream and Honey Balsamic Drizzle from Carol – From a Chef’s Kitchen
- Layered Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust from Liz – That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Orange Creamsicle Mousse Parfaits from Jane – The Heritage Cook
PIN ‘Cabernet Gelato with Chocolate Shards’
Cabernet Gelato with Chocolate Shards
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup reduced wine (Simmer a full bottle of red wine until reduced to one cup; chill reduction thoroughly before using)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cocoa
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 ounces dark chocolate
- 2 ounces milk chocolate
- 2 Tbsp butter
Instructions
Prepare the Stracciatella (Chocolate Shards)
- Melt the chocolates and butter in a microwave on low power for 30 second increments, stirring in between sessions until melted and smooth.
- Transfer to a pastry or Ziploc bag and seal; pressing out as much air as possible; keeping warm until ready to use. I put the bag in to a glass of hot water to keep it warm until the gelato is ready.
Make the Gelato
- In a medium saucepan bring the milk and half and half to a simmer.
- Combine the sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch into a bowl and whisk in the wine reduction.
- Scrape the sugar and wine mixture into the hot milk. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and bubbles a little at the edges. Stir and cook for 2 minutes longer.
- Pour the mixture into a clean bowl and cover the surface of the mixture with plastic wrap. Chill without stirring until very cold to the touch; minimum 90 minutes. (I put mine into the freezer for about 45 minutes to speed it up a bit).
- Freeze gelato according to the instructions with your ice cream maker. When the ice cream has churned and the consistency is a bit firmer than soft serve, remove the chocolate mixture from the warm water and snip the tip of the bag about an eighth of an inch; no more than a quarter of an inch. Drizzle the chocolate into the ice cream as it is churning (save a bit for the top and for sundaes if desired) and allow it to distribute throughout.
- Continue churning until desired consistency and then transfer the mixture to a freezer safe container and let freeze for at least 4 hours before serving; preferably overnight.
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