Lip Zmakk'in Gypsy Gelato

The wild gals of Café Zmakk bring to you “Lip Zmakk'in Gypsy Gelato” - a delectable and creamy concoction of cream, amaretto, almonds, marzipan, amoreto biscotti all topped off with sumptuous red fruit! The ingredients represent our team PERFECTLY! French Tart feels flighty and flirty with a tipple of Amaretto, whilst Mom2Rose gets quite nutty when she eats almonds! Katew craves the deep and mysterious feel of marzipan topped with raunchy raspberries; however, AuntWoofieWoof likes to bathe in a bath of double cream with a few strawberries thrown in for good measure! Annisette favours vanilla, because she is pretty strong on her own but likes to enhance the flavours of others. Meanwhile, Chef Pot Pie thinks she should tell you, that she is JUST like an amaretto biscuit, as she’s sweet, a little crunchy, and GREAT with coffee! Zurie swings into action with her thin almond wafers – sophisticated and ready to SCOOP up any ice cream within 10 paces! Emily Elizabeth finishes off this delightful delectation with a spoon full of sugar. This creation is brought to you by special delivery. Are YOU wild enough to sample our Lip Zmakk'in Gypsy Gelato? You will need an ice cream maker for this.

• Ready In: 26 hrs
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 7  ounces marzipan (Almond Paste)
• 2⁄3 cup fine sugar
• 3  large eggs
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  almond essence
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1⁄4 cups half-and-half
• 1  cup heavy cream
• 1⁄4 cup amaretto liqueur
• 1  cup  crushed amaretto  biscotti
• 1⁄4 cup  toasted chopped  almonds
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped fresh strawberries
• 1⁄2 cup fresh raspberries or 1⁄2 cup frozen raspberries
•  almond  ice cream wafer, to serve

Directions

1. Combine the marzipan and sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add eggs one at a time – beating well after each addition. Beat in the almond and vanilla essence and then add the salt.
3. Bring the half-and-half to a gentle simmer in a saucepan, and then slowly beat in the warm half-and-half and the cream into the marzipan mixture – pour it all back into the saucepan and heat over a low heat. Stir it CONSTANTLY until the custard thickens slightly. Be careful NOT to let it boil or the eggs will scramble!
4. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl and allow to cool. Add the Amaretto liqueur and allow to chill over night or for several hours in the refrigerator.
5. Stir the chilled custard well and freeze in an ice cream maker in 1 or 2 batches, according to the machine’s instructions. Add HALF of the crushed amaretto biscotti with half of the toasted chopped almonds when the ice cream is semi-frozen – allow the machine to mix them into the ice cream.
6. Pour the ice cream into a freezer proof container and sprinkle the rest of the amaretto biscotti and almonds on the top, along with the strawberries and raspberries – gently pushing them down into the surface. Freeze for 2 hours for a firmer ice cream or serve straight away for a softer finish, with almond ice cream wafers.