No-cook walnut gelato with the Thermomix

The Express (No-Wait) version of walnut gelato: thanks to the power of the Thermomix we grind the walnuts into a very fine paste with the sugar, skipping the cooking and the wait in the fridge entirely. Everything gets blended cold and poured straight into the ice cream maker.

The quantities are sized for about 750 g of gelato, the capacity of the ICK5000.

The trick of the walnut paste

This is the step that sets this gelato apart from every homemade attempt that comes out "grainy", and it works for a precise reason.

Grinding the walnuts together with the sugar, the crystals act as an abrasive and help break down the nut's cells. As you keep blending, the heat from the blades and the friction release the natural oils in the walnuts: the powder turns into a moist paste, exactly like what happens when you make peanut butter.

Why does it matter? Because those oils spread through the whole mixture and bind the water. If you stopped at the powder stage, you'd have dry granules suspended in the milk, and you'd feel the grit in your mouth.

Don't skip the mid-way scrape: the paste tends to clump on the walls, and without bringing it back down the blades just spin uselessly.

Toasting the walnuts makes a difference

If you buy them already skinned and toasted, great. Otherwise, run them 8-10 minutes in the oven at 160°C (or in the air fryer) and let them cool completely before using: toasting develops the aroma and removes the slightly bitter note from the skins.

They need to be cold when they go into the bowl, otherwise they heat up the mixture and churning takes longer.

Why the salt is "generous"

A generous pinch, not a token one. In nuts, salt plays the same role it does in caramel: it amplifies the perceived sweetness and brings out the toasted notes. Without it, walnut gelato tastes surprisingly flat.

Variations

• Walnuts and honey: swap 20 g of sugar for chestnut honey, added along with the cold liquids.
• With other nuts: the same technique works identically with hazelnuts, pistachios or almonds.
• More rustic: increase the reserved walnuts to 50 g for a more pronounced crunch.
• With chocolate: a drizzle of melted dark chocolate in the last 2 minutes creates crunchy flakes.

How to store it

In the freezer, in an airtight container with cling film pressed onto the surface, it keeps well for about ten days. The fats in the nuts make it softer than other flavors even straight from the freezer: it's often ready to serve right away, otherwise 5 minutes out is enough.