Corbread and Gelato

Cornbread

Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients

• 1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for preparing the pan
• 2 T turbinado sugar
• 1 large eggs
• 1 cup milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch cast iron skillet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer and a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and mix until light and airy.

Add the egg.

Add the cornmeal mixture to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, until just combined into a thick batter. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly before serving.

Chocolate-Chocolate Gelato

• 1 ounce fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks
• sliced strawberries to top (optional)
  

Makes 1 pint

Preparation

Coarsely chop 1 oz chocolate. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan bring milk, cream, and about half of sugar just to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add cocoa powder and chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Have ready a large bowl of ice and cold water. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat yolks and remaining sugar until thick and pale. Add hot chocolate mixture in a slow stream, whisking, and pour into saucepan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 170°F. (Do not let boil.) Pour custard through a sieve into a metal bowl set in ice and cold water and cool. Chill custard, covered, until cold.

Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker. Just before removing custard from ice-cream maker, add in 1/2 cup chocolate chunks. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, 1 to 3 hours.