1-½teaspoonsground Vietnamese cinnamonuse up to a tablespoon as desired
Instructions
Combine sugar and egg yolks and beat until very light and the sugar crystals can't be felt when you pinch a little between your thumb and forefinger.
Set aside.
Combine the milk, cream, and cinnamon sticks in a heavy saucepan.
Turn heat to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a simmer and bubbles form around the edges of the milk mixture. DO NOT BOIL.
Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard.
Add a little of the hot liquid to the egg yolks, beating constantly.
Continue to add the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks while beating - make sure the eggs don't curdle.
If you think you've curdled some of the egg pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to catch any cooked egg.
Return the custard mixture to the saucepan and place over low heat.
Cook, stirring, until the custard coats the back of the spoon and your finger leaves a track. Make sure it doesn't boil.
Remove from heat.
Let cool to room temperature then stir in the ground cinnamon and vanilla.
Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Pour the cooled gelato mixture into an ice cream mchine and churn according to manufacturer's directions. If your ice cream maker allows different settings use the "gelato" setting or slow churn setting.
Spoon into a freezer-safe container with a tightly fitting lid and freeze for an hour or so before serving.
Notes
Storage:Gelato should be packed tightly in an airtight container and kept in the freezer overnight before serving.Leftovers should be kept in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.Tips:
Always use whole milk - not skim, not 2%, not anything else.
Stop the churning process when the cinnamon gelato is thick and creamy like soft serve but not at the ice cream point yet. Freeze overnight.
For a creamy gelato freeze it at a warmer temperature than you would ice cream for the best flavor. About 20 degrees is right. It should still be frozen but a little softer than ice cream.
Freeze gelato overnight in a shallow container rather than in a tall container like ice cream. An 8-inch cake pan covered with plastic wrap is perfect.
This recipe should work in any ice cream machine - even if it doesn't have a gelato setting.
Keep in mind that your homemade gelato and ice creams do not have the stabilizers that keep commercial ice creams soft and delicious for months. You'll want to eat this within a few weeks -- and that shouldn't be a problem!