Today’s recipe was inspired by a trip. Sharing this recipe in the Open Lab is Gabriele Manzi, a curious gelato maker and tireless experimenter, who, during a family trip to New Zealand and the Cook Islands, came across an ingredient he’ll never forget: vanilla grown on Rarotonga, the archipelago’s main island.
Anyone who has been lucky enough to taste vanilla from different parts of the world knows that there is no such thing as “the one vanilla.” Every terroir tells a different story. According to Gabriele, the vanilla from the Cook Islands stands out for its particularly floral and aromatic notes, which fill the workshop the moment the pod is first cut open.
When I got home with a supply of vanilla in my suitcase, the challenge was to figure out how to make the most of it without resorting to the classic vanilla ice cream.
The solution came from noisette butter, prepared right in the lab. Heating the butter to about 140°C brings out toasted, nutty, and caramel aromas that enhance the complexity of the vanilla without overpowering it. The result is a warm, enveloping, and deep flavor, very different from the most common idea of vanilla ice cream.
Volterra salt brings it all full circle. It’s not just a decorative addition, but an ingredient present in sufficient quantities to even influence the balance of the mixture. Its role is to add tension and depth to the flavor, creating a contrast that makes the gelato more dynamic and long-lasting.
On one hand, the exotic aroma of the Cook Islands; on the other, an ingredient that symbolizes Tuscany. In between, toasted butter that brings it all together.
Ingredients (for about 1 kg of ice cream)
- 685 g of whole milk
- 80 g of browned butter
- 125 g of sucrose
- 50 g of glucose syrup, 38 DE
- 25 g of dextrose
- 25 g of skim milk powder
- 5 g of Volterra salt
- 2.5 g of carob seed flour
- 1 g of guar gum
- 1 Cook Islands vanilla bean
Proceedings
Heat the butter to about 140°C until it develops the characteristic toasted and caramelized notes of noisette butter.
Combine the milk, browned butter, sugars, skim milk powder, salt, and stabilizer.
Slice open the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds, and add them to the mixture (add the emptied bean as well to infuse the mixture).
Heat the mixture to 85°C, stirring constantly.
Strain, removing the vanilla beans, then cool quickly and whip until creamy.
One of the best things about the Gelato Project Open Lab is exactly this: starting with a special ingredient and seeing where it takes you.
In this case, the journey is literal. Vanilla sourced from the other side of the world meets lab-produced noisette butter and Volterra salt, creating an ice cream that brings together different places, memories, and sensibilities in a single bite.
If you, too, have a recipe that tells a story, features a unique ingredient, or simply reflects who you are, please write to me. The Open Lab was created specifically to give a voice to the community’s ideas—from professionals to the most curious enthusiasts.
Looking for new ideas for your ice cream?
In the Gelato Project, you’ll find hundreds of well-balanced recipes that are regularly updated: from the great classics to the most creative flavors, as well as sorbets, granitas, and gourmet ice creams.
It is designed for people who make ice cream at home, for those who work in an ice cream shop, and for anyone who wants to experiment without having to start from scratch every time.
Check out the Gelato Project and discover all the recipes!
