NOTES FROM THE TEST KITCHEN - MARCH EDITION
Monday, March 01, 2010
So far, 2010 has flown by, and before you know it, Easter will have arrived. Just a little over a month away, Easter is the epitome of new beginnings and the unofficial start to Spring. Here in the PreGel test kitchen, we are itching for Spring to arrive, so we have started experimenting with some interesting flavour combinations that will really make for a startling addition to any display case. These two gelati are campy, fun and will be a great draw for children and adults alike.
The first gelato, aptly titled "Easter Egg Hunt", is a classic combination of a smooth caramel gelato and crisp chocolate shards of Gran Stracciatella Reale. Buried deep inside are mini Easter Crème Eggs! Each mouthful contains a possible sweet surprise. For additional colour, we have studded the top of the gelato with candy-coated chocolate Easter Eggs.
The second gelato would be a great and welcome snack for all those Easter Bunnies out there. What are bunnies favourite foods? Carrots of course! Although most people would never think of putting carrots in gelato, we will have you all thinking twice when we pair them with crunchy walnuts, juicy raisins, and cheesecake gelato to make the ultimate frozen Carrot Cake.
Easter Egg Hunt Gelato
Ingredients:
- 2025g Whole Milk
- 225g Cream
- 110g Skim Milk Powder
- 375g Sugar
- 40g Dextrose
- 225g Totalbase
- 75g Traditional Paste - Caramel
Instructions:
1) In a foodservice bucket, add all the dry ingredients and mix to incorporate.
2) Add the wet ingredients.
3) Blend with an immersion blender.
4) Batch as usual.
5) Upon extraction, variegate the gelato with melted Gran Stracciatella Real, and stud the gelato with mini crème eggs and mini candy-coated chocolate eggs.
The Ultimate Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 bag Super Sprint - Quarcream
- 2000g Whole Milk
- 500g Cream
- 100g Chopped Walnuts (reserve a few to sprinkle on top of the finished gelato)
- 100g Traditional Paste - Malaga (drain the liquid and use only the raisins)
For the carrots:
- 150g Shredded Carrots
- 300g Water
- 50g Sugar
- 50g Traditional Paste - Cinnamon
Instructions:
1) In a bowl, or small pot, add the carrots, water, sugar, and Cinnamon paste, and heat in the microwave or on a stovetop for a few minutes in order to soften the carrots and infuse them with the cinnamon syrup.
2) Once they have been heated through, set them aside to cool.
3) Once cool, place the carrots in a sieve to drain and press them with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
Method of Preparation:
1) In a foodservice bucket, add the bag of Super Sprint - Quarcream, the milk and the cream and blend with an immersion blender.
2) Add the carrots, chopped walnuts, and Malaga raisins, and whisk vigorously to incorporate
3) Batch as usual.
4) Upon extraction, garnish with the reserved chopped walnuts, and some carrot curls.
