Dark chocolate gelato with the Thermomix

Chocolate is a flavor rich in solids, so it structures very well during churning: the result is a compact, glossy, ultra-creamy gelato, with all the character of dark chocolate and none of the bitter aftertaste you sometimes get from overheated cocoa.

Why only part of the milk gets heated

This is the step that sets this recipe apart from a simple "blend everything together", and it's worth understanding because you can reuse it in other flavors.

Unsweetened cocoa powder needs heat and liquid to release its essential oils: it's what pastry chefs call "blooming" the cocoa, and without this step the gelato tastes flat and powdery. At the same time the dark chocolate needs to melt to properly combine, instead of staying in flakes.

But if we heated all the liquid, we'd then have to wait hours for the base to cool down. By heating just 150 g of milk we get both things at once: bloomed cocoa, melted chocolate, and a concentrated base that the remaining 350 g of cold liquid brings instantly back down to ice-cream-maker temperature.

The 60°C isn't arbitrary: above 70°C cocoa starts releasing scorched, bitter notes, the ones that ruin so many homemade chocolate gelatos.

The salt isn't optional

A pinch of salt in dark chocolate isn't there to make it salty: it cuts the bitterness and amplifies the toasted notes, exactly the way it works in coffee. Try a version without and one with, everything else equal: you'll taste the difference on the first bite.

Variations and pairings

• Chocolate and orange: the grated zest of half an organic orange along with the cold milk, a timeless classic.
• More intense: use a 70-75% dark chocolate and add 10 g more sugar to compensate.
• Reverse stracciatella: 30 g of melted dark chocolate drizzled in during the last minute of churning, which sets into crunchy flakes.
• With brownies: a scoop on a warm square of hazelnut brownies is the dessert I make when I have guests.

How to store it

Chocolate is one of the flavors that holds up best in the freezer: two weeks without any issue, in an airtight container with cling film pressed onto the surface. Being rich in solids, it hardens more than other flavors, so leave it at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving.