Neapolitan Ice Cream

Last Updated: March 17, 2022

If you have ever been to Italy, you know about the wonderful foods available. Neapolitan Ice Cream is a delicious and refreshing combination of vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream and strawberry ice cream. This treat is usually served in the classic Neapolitan Ice Cream bar container with scoops of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice-cream separated by colorful striped layers of syrups.

Strawberry syrup is also known as strawberry sauce or jam as it is used to sweeten the taste of fresh strawberries in order to convert them into tasty desserts. The original recipe for Neapolitan ice cream bars was created by the Italo Marchiony in 1899 at his small grocery store located at local farmers markets in New York City, USA.

Ingredients

Strawberry Ice Cream Layer

2 Drops Red Food Coloring
1 Pound Strawberries
2 Tablespoons Sugar

Vanilla Ice Cream Layer

1 Vanilla Bean
6 Cups Heavy Cream
6 Cups Half-and-Half
18 Large Egg Yolks
4 Cups Sugar

Chocolate Ice Cream Layer

2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
6 Ounces Dark Chocolate Chips
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder

Equipment

Medium Saucepan
Glass Bowl
Fine-Mesh Strainer
Double Boiler
Ice Cream Maker
6-cup Loaf Pans

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1

Medium heat is the way to go if you don’t have an ice cream machine. You want to make sure the mix doesn’t bubble so you keep it low and slow. If it looks like it could spill over, take it off of the heat until the bubbles subside. For the custard base, combine in a medium saucepan half-and-half and sugar. Stir it around to combine. (half-and-half = the cream that’s left after all the milk proteins have been added back into skimmed milk).

Step 2

The split the vanilla bean down the middle by using a sharp paring knife, and then scrape out the vanilla caviar inside with that same knife. This method is slightly more labor intensive than using extract, though it gives a more subtle flavor (and doesn’t call for artificial flavoring). Now add everything to the pot, and do not forget the pod, then stir for a couple of minutes over low heat.

What you’ve done is simple but yet quite impressive to those who don’t cook or rather bake at home. Adding vanilla bean caviar to a dish tends to make it exceptionally good. With the use of vanilla in desserts and baked goods, you’ve added something extra to your recipe and it’ll probably have people guessing at what gives the dish that extra amount of pure, sweet flavor.

Step 3

Pick up your whisk, it’s time to get cracking! Your eggs have been sitting, waiting to become something great. Now it’s time for you to turn them into something special. In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks vigorously for about two minutes until the yolks become lighter in color.

Step 4

The vanilla bean must be removed from the pot. This is a very important step. If you do this too fast, the egg yolks will scramble, and you don’t want that to happen. Just take your time and drizzle it in slowly. Add a ladle of the hot half-and-half mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Add another ladle of the hot liquid, and when it’s mixed in, pour the egg mixture slowly into the half-and-half mixture, stirring with a spoon until the mixture is thick and coating the spoon, 2 minutes or so.

Tempering is a method of gradually adding hot liquids to the egg yolks so that they don’t coagulate or curdle. Why do you want to temper your eggs? The goal is to slowly introduce the egg yolks to the hot liquid without destroying their thick, goopy consistency. Tempering allows you to do just that with maximum precision. If you were to dump a ladle of boiling-hot half-and-half into an egg yolk by itself, it would start cooking and scrambling immediately.

But if you drizzle small amounts of the hot liquid (temper) into the yolks, followed by more hot liquid, you allow the heat from each portion of liquid to be transferred along before adding the next one. If you’re adding a ladle at a time, give it 3 minutes in between additions so that the temperature can stabilize and it doesn’t get too warm for the egg yolks.

Step 5

Strain the custard using a fine mesh sieve. Pour the heavy cream into the container with the custard and mix everything thoroughly. What you’re going to do is you’re going to separate the mixture into three different pitchers. You’re going to have one that’s your vanilla ice cream; and another one that’s your strawberry ice cream, and the third one is going to be your chocolate ice cream mixture. And you set them aside to cool down.

Step 6

For the chocolate ice cream layer, begin by melting the dark chocolate chips with the heavy cream over a double boiler. Once the mixture is homogeneous and melted, pour in 1 cup of the remaining custard and mix everything together until smooth. Then pour the mixture into a jug. Add the cocoa to the jug and whisk until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and whisk for one hour as indicated in the instruction manual.

Step 7

Place half of the chocolate ice cream into 6-cup loaf pans. Smooth them over and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour. For the vanilla ice-cream, insert frozen custard into your ice cream maker and churn for another hour or so. (You’ll know it’s ready when it has the consistency of soft-serve ice cream). Fill the loaf pans with ice cream and return to freezer for at least 1 hour.

Step 8

To create the strawberry ice cream, combine the strawberries (fresh is best if you have them, but frozen and defrosted will also work), sugar and red food coloring in a blender and puree until smooth. You can also leave it out until smooth if you want some texture. If you whip until smooth, the ice cream layer will turn out softer.

Add the mashed strawberries to the last third of the cooled custard and mix everything. Then transfer to an ice cream maker and whisk. Then take two trays out of the freezer and scoop half of the strawberry ice cream into each, creating the last layer. Spread evenly and place in the freezer for at least an hour.

Step 9

One of the most rewarding processes for this dessert is to serve it to your friends and family. This is a great ice cream. Slice neatly with a knife that has been dipped in very hot water, wiping it dry after each slice. The delightful dessert that is now all the rage. Follow these simple instructions, and you will be enjoying this sensational dessert in no time.

If you love chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream, then Neapolitan ice cream is the perfect treat for you. Based on the colors of the Italian flag, Neapolitan ice cream is one of the most popular flavors of ice cream in America. Seven hundred and fifty million of gallons of ice cream are consumed in the United States each year. Given the number of ice cream flavors available, it is no wonder why it is one of the favorites desserts enjoyed by everyone.