Rum Soaked Grilled Pineapple with Homemade French Vanilla Gelato
Nothing says summertime like tropical fruit and gelato. And booze. Even if that booze is cooked out. My mom came across a recipe for Rum Soaked Grilled Pineapple served with ice cream from Gimme Some Oven. The recipe for the pineapple and sauce is super easy but of course I couldn't just slap some old store-bought vanilla ice cream on top when I love making my own gelato.
So below you will find my recipe for homemade French Vanilla Gelato (slightly modified from Ice Cream Nation's recipe). And make sure to check out Gimme Some Oven's recipe for the Rum Soaked Grilled Pineapple because I didn't change a thing--except double the marinade because I had so many pineapple slices; oh, and I marinated it in a plastic bag and the pineapple slices sat in there a little bit longer than what the recipe called for because I was so busy helping my mom with dinner. And since we dined al fresco, I popped these pineapple slices on the grill, instead of using a grill pan on the stovetop.
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| Thick slices of pineapple marinated in a rum mixture are grilled and the leftover marinade is reduced on the stovetop to a caramel-like sauce. |
And it was a hit with everyone! Even my 95-year-old grandmother really loved it. The pineapple and sauce tasted delicious and the French Vanilla Gelato was the perfect creamy texture. Not to mention it paired wonderfully with the cake my mom made in honor of Cait and Alex's 1 year anniversary. A pineapple sauce filled white cake with cream cheese buttercream frosting--semi-homemade of course. Our über busy family sees nothing wrong with a boxed cake mix when you add homemade frosting!
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| Cait & Alex had a similar cake for their wedding but thought they were moving to Germany before their first anniversary so we didn't save a portion of their wedding cake for them. As it turns out, the Army changed their mind and Cait & Alex are still here! My mom wanted to make sure they they got to celebrate their first anniversary the usual way and made them this cake. We even used the ribbon leftover from their wedding cake! |
I made my gelato a day ahead so it would have time to firm up well in the freezer. Of course my mom and I had to have a spoonful each that night to "make sure the gelato was okay." (Mmmmmm….) My mom tried to have several spoonfuls and I had to fend her off. I think next time I need to make a double batch of this gelato because it is that good. I mean, I was afraid to come back the next day and find half of the gelato gone because my mom snuck it into bed with her!
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| Smooth and creamy french vanilla gelato is the perfect way to top off this grilled, juicy pineapple. The sauce adds an extra pop of rum and cinnamon flavor! |
Plus, this French Vanilla Gelato makes the perfect base for any flavor you like. (Keep your eye out for a future Tiramisu Gelato post!)
I also love that this is a cornstarch, or Sicilian style gelato. I've tried several egg based gelato recipes and I always taste more egg than anything else. (Ummm…that was supposed to be mango flavored, not some mango and mostly egg….) And the cornstarch helps this gelato set up like a nice and firm pudding! When I poured the chilled mixture into my ice cream maker it was already so thick it plopped down in large handfuls. In no time flat (about 20 minutes, really), I had a wonderfully frozen treat!
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| As my sister Caitlin said, "I could eat buckets of this stuff!" |
But don't worry, you don't need an ice cream maker for this recipe, though it does make the process go a lot faster. You can use the still freeze method. Just pour your chilled mixture into a suitable container and stick it in your freezer. Every 30 to 45 minutes take it out and "churn" it with a fork then pop it back in the freezer. You will want to churn it by hand like this about 3 to 4 times. When the gelato becomes creamy, make sure to place some plastic wrap on the surface of the gelato before popping the lid on and sticking it back in your freezer.
This dessert is the perfect finish for my mom's easy Crockpot "Sowiian" Style BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches!
Yum
French Vanilla Gelato
Prep time: 5 minutesCook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups Whole Milk
- 1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 4 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- Pinch Corse Kosher Salt
- 1 Vanilla Bean
- 1/2 Cup Turbinado Sugar
- Take 1/4 cup of your whole milk and warm it slightly in the microwave. Add the cornstarch and whisk together, set aside.
- In a heavy saucepan, combine your remaining milk, the heavy cream, and sugar. Split your vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds, adding the seeds and bean to your saucepan.
- Place your saucepan on medium heat and warm until steaming hot, but not boiling, occasionally whisking.
- Once steaming hot, add the milk and cornstarch mixture (you may have to whisk it around again before adding it as the cornstarch may settle and stick to the bottom of your cup). Occasionally whisking, allow it to come to barely a boil. Continue to cook and whisk the mixture for another 5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken (you want to cook out any "floury" taste of the cornstarch without overcooking it, causing it to lose its thickening powers).
- Once the mixture has thickened, remove from heat and let cool.
- Refrigerate for several hours. Once chilled, discard vanilla bean and freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions (or use the still freeze method). Once churned, place in a freezer safe container and freeze to store.
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