TO TRY ONE SPOONFUL OF CIAO BELLArs"S GELATO OR SORBETTO IS TO BE INSTANTLY TRANSPORTED. When you think of the most delicious and fresh gelato and sorbetto in America, you are craving Ciao Bella. The premier gelato and sorbetto maker in the country may be known for using the worldrs"s finest ingredients-Sicilian lemons, Valrhona chocolate, Louisiana pralines-but you donrs"t need to travel the globe to experience the bold flavors yourself. All you need is a handful of simple, fresh ingredients; a standard ice cream machine; and your imagination. The magic of this book is that once you learn how to make just one easy custard or simple syrup base, you can dream up an infinite number of flavors. In addition to being able to re-create Ciao Bellars"s award-winning favorites, like Key Lime with Graham Cracker Gelato or Hazelnut Biscotti Gelato, yours"ll be able to invent your own combinashy;tions and mix and match more than 100 unbelievshy;ably indulgent frozen desserts. From the PLAIN BASE: bull; Italian classics such as GIANDUJA and PISTACHIO bull; New American favorites like APPLE CARAMEL CRISP and PUMPKIN AND SPICE bull; Cutting-edge flavors like BOURBON BUTTER PECAN and ROSEMARY AND OLIVE OIL From the CHOCOLATE BASE: bull; Exotic options from around the world like CHOCOLATE CHAI and MEXICAN COFFEE bull; Kid-pleasers like CHOCOLATE Srs"MORES From the SIMPLE SYRUP: bull; Sorbets such as WATERMELON, COSMOPOLITAN, and PEAR WITH BALSAMIC SWIRL bull; Make-your-own granita combinations (no ice cream machine required!) like COFFEE/CINNAshy;MON and RASPBERRY/SAUTERNES/HONEY A special section called "Amazing Endings" tops off this delicious volume, containing fun ideas for how to serve gelato and sorbetto as the pros do-or with a more personal creative touch. With hundreds of helpful tips, information on the best ingredients, and a list of sources, this gorgeously photographed book ensures that the best gelato and sorbetto you can imagine are just a churn away. NOW, WITH THE HELP OF CIAO BELLA co-owner F. W. Pearce and chef Danilo Zecchin, making gelato and sorbetto in your own kitchen couldnrs"t be easier. Yours"ll add an exclamation point to any meal with these tantalizing flavors: bull; HAZELNUT BISCOTTI bull; FIG AND PORT bull; APPLE CARAMEL CRISP bull; ROSE PETAL bull; GREEN TEA bull; POMEGRANATE CHAMPAGNE bull; PEACH AND HABANERO CHILE F. W. PEARCE is one of the founders and DANILO ZECCHIN is the executive chef and master flavor creator of Ciao Bella. Fondly called "Americars"s gelato," Ciao Bella began in New Yorkrs"s Little Italy in 1983. Ciao Bella was promishy;nently featured onThe Oprah Winfrey Showwhen she chose Blood Orange Sorbetto for her holiday special, and the company has received fifteen awards from the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. Ciao Bella has appeared in hundreds of media outlets. www.ciaobellagelato.com

F. W. PEARCE is one of the founders and DANILO ZECCHIN is the executive chef and master flavor creator of Ciao Bella. Fondly called “America’s gelato,” Ciao Bella began in New York’s Little Italy in 1983. Ciao Bella was promi­nently featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show when she chose Blood Orange Sorbetto for her holiday special, and the company has received fifteen awards from the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. Ciao Bella has appeared in hundreds of media outlets.
www.ciaobellagelato.com

Classic Chocolate Gelato 

Chocolate perfection, pure and simple. Ciao Bella Classic Chocolate Gelato is simply our deep Chocolate Base in its basic form; it stands alone in its sophisticated simplicity or can be used for infinite variations. Try experimenting with spice and different percentages of chocolate—milk chocolate for kids and dark and single-origin chocolates for chocolate connoisseurs. We recommend using a bittersweet chocolate with about 60% cacao for our chocolate recipes, but you could go up or down a bit according to your preference.

makes enough for about 1 quart of gelato


   • 2 cups whole milk
   • 1 cup heavy cream
   • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
   • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (about 60% cacao), finely chopped
   • 4 large egg yolks
   • 3/4 cup sugar
In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally so a skin doesn't form, until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges and the mixture reaches a temperature of 170°F. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder. Add the chopped chocolate, and stir or whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.

Meanwhile, in a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually whisk in the sugar until it is well incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Temper the egg yolks by very slowly pouring in the hot milk mixture, whisking continuously. Return the custard to the saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and it reaches a temperature of 185°F. Do not bring to a boil.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes or so. To cool the custard quickly, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water and placing the bowl with the custard in it; stir the custard until cooled. Once completely cooled, cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

To make the gelato, pour the custard into the container of an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.