Giuseppe's Zabaione

Gelato Recipe

Captured by

The Recipe Hunters

in Italy

Zabaione is an Italian dessert, created by vigorously whisking together egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine (a sweet Sicilian wine), over a "bagno maria" or double boiler. Zabaione gelato is a frozen version of the recipe, where you add a gelato base of milk, cream and sugar to the zabaione. Check out Giuseppe the Gelato Maker's traditional frozen Zabaione Recipe below!

Understanding the Recipe: You will be making two mixtures: a gelato base that you can use to make unlimited flavors and the zabaione. You will combine the two mixtures together before adding them to the gelato machine.

Made with Love Tip: To make an ice bath, fill a very large bowl with ice and then add a little bit of cold water. Add another large bowl on top of the ice that is empty and that has enough volume to hold the hot mixture you just made

Makes 10-12 scoops of icecream

Gelato Base:

1. In a pot, add 1/5 cup cream, 1/2 cup sugar cane, and 2 1/4 cup of milk. Place the pot over medium-high heat and constantly stir the mixture until the temperature reaches 85° C (185° F). If you do not have a thermometer, this is the moment right before the mixture begins to bubble.

2. At this point, shut off the heat and allow the mixture to cool by transferring it into a big bowl in an ice bath (you will later be adding more ingredients to this bowl, so make sure it can fit 2x the ingredients). Stir the mixture a few times while it cools.

3. Once the mixture is cool to the touch, cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator. You now have a gelato base that can be used to make unlimited flavors!

4. Boil a pot of water that is small enough so that you can place the metal mixing bowl on top of it. *This is called the bagno maria or double boiler. This method allows you to gently heat up up eggs so that you do not scramble or cook them.

5. While the water is heating, add 3 egg yolks and 1/3 cup cane sugar to the large metallic mixing bowl. Whisk until the sugar and yolks form a light-yellow, homogenous mix.

6. Continue to whisk as you slowly pour the marsala wine into the egg and sugar mixture. Made with Love Tip: You must add the marsala wine slowly and stir it vigorously so that the wine disperses into the sugar and eggs, otherwise the wine will naturally come together and will not form a mixture. 

7. Once the zabaione mixture is homogenous, place the mixture (in the metal bowl) on top of the pot of boiling water. Continue to whisk to ensure alcohol does not separate from egg mix.

8. The sugar will dissolve into the wine and eggs and the mixture will coagulate and thicken, forming a frothy cream. Once the cream forms remove the mixing bowl from the bagno maria. 

9. Pour in ¾ cup of cream, and mix so that the cream is dispersed evenly throughout. 

10. Remove the gelato base from the refrigerator and place it in the ice bath. Now combine the two mixtures by adding the zabaione mixture to the gelato base. Mix and let cool.

11. Pour the final zabaione mixture into to an ice cream machine and enjoy fresh or place in airtight containers in the freezer to serve later.  Enjoy this southern Italian treat, frozen with love!