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Mandola e Arancia Gelato (Almond and Orange Gelato)
Mandola e Arancia Gelato (Almond and Orange Gelato)
This Almond and Orange Gelato combines zesty and juicy with toasty and nutty to create a surprisingly comforting, yet remarkable frozen treat. It will charm your taste buds at the first spoonful.
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As much as I like combining flavors in a creative way when I make gelato, I also often go back to tried-and-true classics. Though it may sound like a humble ingredient combination, this Almond and Orange Gelato is a timeless combination. After I made it for the first time, it instantly rose to the top of my list of favorite gelati flavors.
Orange and almonds are frequent pals in the sweet world. You’ll find them together in cakes, biscotti, and candies all over Italy’s cafés and pastry shops. But I find it to be especially striking in gelato form: of course, there’s the bright flavor of orange in there—a sure winner in my citrus-loving heart—but also the creamy, toasty flavor of almonds. The combination of almond and orange is surprisingly comforting, familiar yet remarkable. It inevitably charms taste buds at the first spoonful.
Though there are a lot of “flashier” gelato flavors to choose from, but I challenge you to give this Almond and Orange Gelato flavor a try. It’s wonderful served with juicy orange segments, with ripe summer fruits such as strawberries and apricots, and with any and all cakes.
Helpful Tips for Making Almond and Orange Gelato
Toast those almonds up!
Though it may sound like an annoying extra step, toasting the almonds makes the hugest difference in flavor. Don’t skip it! Also, make sure to pick skin-on almonds to get a beautifully flecked gelato. The almond skin doesn’t make a difference in taste though, so if you have blanched almonds on hand, go ahead and use them.
Take a shortcut and use store-bought almond butter
Fan of an especially great store-bought almond butter? Feel free to skip the almond toasting + grinding steps and use that product instead. Make sure the butter is 100% almonds (no added oil, salt, or sugar) and has an extra-smooth consistency.
Keep that orange zest in
Many almond and orange gelato recipes instruct to strain the gelato custard to discard the orange zest, but I recommend you keep it in. It’ll fully blend into the mixture as you process it and you’ll enjoy 100% of the zest’s sweet, aromatic flavor.
Bring gelato back to room temp before serving
Always remember to bring gelato to room temperature 15 to 20 minutes before serving. One of the defining factors of gelato is that it is kept and served at a warmer temperature than ice cream is. This gives gelato its signature creamy texture and allows flavors to shine brighter. It also makes gelato much easier to scoop and serve.
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More Delicious Homemade Gelato Recipes
Love gelato? Then you need to give these creative, homemade gelato recipes a try.
Almond and Orange Gelato
Ingredients
- 1 batch Classic Gelato Base (preferred) or Sicilian-Style Gelato Base (omit the vanilla bean)
- Finely grated zest from 2 oranges about 4 tbsp/60 ml orange zest
- 1 tbsp Amaretto liqueur (such as Disaronno), or ½ tsp (2 ml) pure almond extract
- 1 cup unsalted raw whole almonds, preferably skin on, or blanched almonds
Instructions
- Make the gelato base of your choice, then as soon as you take it off the heat, whisk in the finely grated orange zest and Amaretto liqueur or almond extract. Strain the gelato base into an airtight container. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. The gelato base must be very cold before churning: this will produce the smoothest, silkiest texture.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Spread the almonds over a baking sheet. Toast the almonds for 10 minutes, shaking the sheet once or twice. The almonds should be aromatic and blond on the inside. Transfer the almonds to a plate and let cool completely.
- Once the almonds have cooled to room temperature, use a stick blender or a mini food processor to grind them to a smooth butter consistency. Depending of the appliance you’re using, this can take between 3 to 5 minutes. You don’t need to add any liquid to facilitate the process, just some patience. Scrape down the container from time to time and keep grinding, you’ll get there!
- Measure out the almond butter to get ½ cup (125 ml). Store any remaining almond butter for tomorrow’s morning toast!
- Whisk the almond butter into the cool gelato base. Use a stand blender, a stick blender, or a food processor to fully combine and blend to a super smooth consistency. Strain, if desired, to remove leftover chunks, if any.
- Pour the almond and orange gelato custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Stop the machine when the gelato is thick and icy but still easily spoonable.
- STORAGE: Transfer the almond and orange gelato to an airtight container and freeze until firm, about two hours.Almond and orange gelato is at its creamiest and best if enjoyed within 2 weeks. Past that, some ice crystals will inevitably start forming (especially if the gelato is kept in the freezer section of a regular fridge, as opposed to a chest freezer) and the texture won't be quite as smooth. The gelato will still be perfectly edible for up to 2 months, but my advice is: enjoy it as quickly as possible after churning.
- SERVING: Always take almond and orange gelato out to room temperature 20 minutes before serving to make it easier to scoop. This will also allow you to enjoy the treat at its ideal temperature and texture.
- MAKE IT VEGAN: Get my recipe and instructions for making vegan gelato.
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Author: Marie Asselin
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