Amarena cherry gelato is simply one of the most beautifully flavored ice creams you’ll ever encounter ~ wild sour cherries from Italy preserved in a thick rich syrup make this homemade ice cream utterly unique and indescribably delicious.
Why make homemade ice cream? Simply put it’s because you can create flavors your supermarket frozen aisle (or even the corner ice cream shop) never dreamed of. And you can customize them to your own personal definition of delicious. My amarena cherry gelato is the perfect example. There are few foods on this earth more enticing than tart amarena cherries. They tint the gelato a soft vintage pink and when you are lucky enough to bite into one…omygosh, the best.
Amarena cherries?
Amarena cherries are small, dark, sour cherries that grow wild in the Bologna and Modena regions of Italy. They’re sold preserved in a sweet syrup and are used in desserts, pastries, and cocktails. They have a rich tart almondy flavor that is totally unique and delicious. If you love sour cherries you’ll adore amarenas!
amarena cherry gelato ingredients
- amarena cherries + syrup
- Amarena cherries in jars are preserved cherries. They are often preserved in syrup, which gives them their distinctive flavor and texture. This helps keep them soft even after freezing in ice cream, whereas fresh cherries would become unpleasantly icy.
- whole milk
- cream
- sugar
- egg yolks
- almond extract
where to find amarena cherries
I got my beautiful jar of Amarena Fabbri wild cherries in syrup at Whole Foods. Cost Plus/World Market also carries them, and you can always find them online. Ask your supermarket manager, they’re sometimes hidden. These cherries are well worth the trouble to track them down, and when you do…buy multiples!
tips for making homemade ice cream
FREEZING BLUNTS SWEETNESS AND FLAVORS so be sure to adequately sweeten and flavor your ice cream base. Taste to adjust if necessary.
CHILL YOUR BASE! Whether you are making a cooked custard base or not, you always want to start with a chilled base. This is essential for your ice cream to churn quickly, which helps prevent ice crystals, so plan ahead. I often make my base one day and churn the next.
ADD MIX-INS AT THE END OF CHURNING: if you add chunky ingredients too early they will impede the freezing process ~ add them in through the top of your machine during the last minutes of churning, allowing just enough time to get them incorporated.
CHILL YOUR STORAGE CONTAINER before adding your freshly made ice cream, this will help prevent melting before you can get it to the freezer.
ENJOY YOUR AMARENA CHERRY GELATO ASAP: homemade ice cream can become quite hard in your freezer, so the best time to enjoy it is just after it has been in the freezer long enough to become scoopable. This will be about 4-6 hours, give or take. If your ice cream does become hard, leave it out on the counter for a bit to soften it up.
ALTERNATIVES TO AMARENA CHERRIES: there are other types of preserved cherries such as
- Maraschino Cherries: Bright red and often used as a garnish for cocktails and desserts.
- Luxardo Cherries: Dark, almost black, cherries soaked in a rich, thick syrup.
- Brandied Cherries: Cherries preserved in a mixture of brandy and sugar syrup.
Advanced Tips
The biggest issue with homemade ice cream has to do with texture. It can be harder and denser than commercial ice creams, but here are some tips for improving texture:
- Milk Powder for Creaminess:
- Adding a small amount of non-fat milk powder to the base can improve the creaminess and body of the ice cream. It helps absorb excess water and prevents ice crystals from forming.
- Alcohol for Softer Texture:
- Incorporating a small amount of alcohol, such as vodka, rum, or liqueur, can lower the freezing point and keep the ice cream from becoming too hard. Use sparingly, usually no more than 1-2 tablespoons per quart of base. For amarena cherry gelato you might use Amaretto or Kirsch or brandy.
- Invert Sugar:
- Using invert sugar like corn syrup or honey can help achieve a smoother texture. These sugars interfere with ice crystal formation and keep the ice cream softer.
- Higher Freezer Temp:
- Commercial ice cream is stored at a slightly higher temperature (6-10 degrees F) which keeps the ice cream firm but soft enough to scoop. Home freezers are usually set to 0 degrees F. If you have access to a second freezer you can store your ice cream at the higher temp.
cherry mania all summer long!
- Sour Cherry Almond Bars
- Cherry Crumble Pie
- Cherry Pie Filling Recipe
- Cherry Almond Crisp Dump Cake
- Fresh Cherry Sauce
- Cherry recipes you need to make now!
Amarena Cherry Gelato
Equipment
- ice cream machine
- medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 8 ounces amarena cherries in syrup* plus more for serving, if desired.
Instructions
- Drain the cherries and reserve the syrup. Wrap the cherries in plastic or put into an airtight container and refrigerate. Set the syrup aside.
- Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl until pale and creamy. Set aside.
- Heat the milk and cream in a medium saucepan until hot but not quite simmering. Whisk some of the hot liquid into the eggs, and then return to the pan, whisking constantly as the mixture heats up and thickens. Do not allow it to boil.
- Once the mixture coats the back of a spoon remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract and the reserved cherry syrup. Let cool and then refrigerate until fully chilled (I leave it overnight.)
- Process the chilled gelato base in your ice cream maker according to its directions. Add the cherries into the ice cream just before it finishes churning, and allow them to get evenly incorporated. Note: you can leave the cherries whole or slice some of them in half.
- Turn the soft gelato into a freezer safe container, cover with plastic, and freeze until firm enough to scoop, at least 4 hours.
- If your ice cream has become too hard to scoop, leave out on the counter briefly to allow it to soften to a sccop-able consistency.
Made this beautiful ice cream over the weekend and it was sweet success! Easy, unique and delicious.
This gelato was so good and easier to make than I thought it would be, I usually don’t make ice cream with eggs. Those sour cherries really made it special!
Homemade ice cream is the perfect way to showcase an ingredient like these cherries, for sure.
We loved it! It’s the perfect sweet treat to cool down on a hot day, the whole crew here gave it thumbs up.
This was delicious! The flavor of the cherries and almond is my new fave!
This looks incredible! I’m going to have to find some Amerena cherries asap!
I promise you they are worth the search.
Looks fantastic. How much milk powder would you use in a recipe with these ingredients. Thanks.
You can add 2-4 tablespoons to this recipe Jo.
This looks lovely, Sue. I buy the larger jar of cherries at Costco and would measure out from that jar. How much syrup is actually called for? Many thanks.
I can’t say exactly but would guess about 1/2 cup? You can add more or less to your taste. Hope you love it ~ I’m jealous of your large jar!!
Thank you for your answer. Going to make this over the weekend! And I just looked at the jar: 2lbs 3.2 oz (1 kg)! I put them in a back corner ~ out of sight, out of continually eating.
Can you use marscopia cherries and n the jar
If you mean maraschino cherries, yes. I recommend Luxardo.