Italian Tartufo
A dramatic cocoa-dusted gelato dome with a cherry center and a crackly chocolate shell.
Preparation: 35 min · Cooking: 10 min · Total: 2 hr · 6 servings
Ingredients
- 900 g chocolate gelato, softened just enough to shape
- 450 g vanilla gelato, softened just enough to scoop
- 6 pc amarena-style cherries, drained
- 180 g dark chocolate, chopped
- 70 g toasted hazelnuts, crushed
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
Prepare Italian Tartufo
Line six freezer-safe muffin cups or small bowls with parchment strips, leaving tabs to lift out the domes. Keep both gelatos frozen until needed.
Shape and freeze the gelato shells
Working quickly, divide about two-thirds of the 900 g chocolate gelato among the molds and press it up the sides, leaving a hollow. Reserve the rest, still frozen, for the caps. Freeze the shells for 25 minutes at -18°C or colder, or until firm enough to hold the filling.
The shell is firm and holds its hollow when pressed lightly.
Freeze gelato shells: 1500 seconds
Fill and refreeze the domes
Divide the 450 g vanilla gelato among the six hollows. Press one drained cherry and a little of the 70 g hazelnuts into each; reserve the remaining nuts for coating. Seal each dome with the reserved chocolate gelato. Freeze at -18°C or colder for at least 30 minutes, until solid enough to unmold.
The sealed domes are solid enough to lift from their molds without slumping.
Finish and serve Italian Tartufo
Melt the 180 g dark chocolate in a dry heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth; keep the bowl clear of the water. Remove from the heat and let it cool until fluid but no longer hot. Unmold one frozen dome at a time, coat quickly with chocolate, scatter with the reserved hazelnuts, and dust with the 2 tbsp cocoa. Return each to the freezer immediately. Freeze at -18°C or colder for at least 20 minutes, until the coating is firm; serve frozen after 5 minutes at room temperature.
The coating is firm and the gelato remains frozen.
Tips
- Work with one dome at a time so the shell sets before the gelato softens.
- Use a dry spoon for the cherries to keep ice crystals out of the filling.
Common mistakes
- Over-softened gelato loses its clean dome shape.
- Very hot chocolate melts the outside instead of forming a shell.
Substitutions
- For a pistachio-raspberry version, replace the 450 g vanilla gelato with 450 g pistachio gelato and the six cherries with six raspberries; pistachio is also a tree nut.
Storage
Freeze airtight at -18°C or colder for up to 1 week. Discard any dome that melts rather than refreezing it; check gelato and chocolate labels for milk, tree nuts, and possible soy.
Reheating
Do not reheat; rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.
About this recipe
Tartufo di Pizzo comes from Calabria and is traditionally shaped by hand around a chocolate center. This cherry-filled, chocolate-coated version is an adaptation rather than the traditional Pizzo recipe.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.