Recipe of the week: Home-made vanilla ice cream (Gelato alla vaniglia)

Nothing says summer more than ice cream, and no one makes ice cream like the Italians! This authentic Italian recipe for vanilla ice cream may not be the healthiest, but you can rest assured that with actual vanilla bean pods, full-fat milk and full-fat cream, your homemade ice cream will be second to none. Once you have made your own gelato alla vaniglia you will never be buying ice cream again. Enjoy! Ingredients Gelato 550g sugar 140g glucose (or grape sugar) 2400g full fat milk 420g full fat cream 60g milk powder 300g egg yolks 2 vanilla bean pods Directions 1) To prepare the ice cream, combine milk, cream, glucose and sugar in the large saucepan; place the chilled egg yolks in a separate bowl and beat them slightly with whisk before pouring into the mixture. 2) Cut the vanilla beans lengthwise and scoop the seeds; slowly heat the mixture the exact temperature of 85 degrees Centigrade, stirring continuously; subsequently turn off the heat and remove the vanilla pods from the mix. 3) Place the pan into a bowl full of icy cold water to cool, stirring the mixture continuously. 4) When the mixture reaches room temperature, cool it in the fridge for at least two hours. 5) Before pouring the mixture into the ice-cream maker, place it in the freezer for a short moment allowing it to cool even more (do ensure that the mixture remains in liquid state at this stage). Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker until creamy and frozen. 6) Finally, place the ice cream in a plastic, sealed container and leave it in the freezer to set for at least 3-4 hours before serving (for best results, gelato should be left in the freezer overnight). 7) Enjoy! Thank you to Antonio Vitale, Head Chef at the Café Romano Restaurant at the Hotel d’Inghilterra in Rome, for the recipe. If you have a recipe you would like to share with  A Luxury Travel Blog’s readers, please contact us.