Ice Cream For Christmas?
Typically, when we think about holiday entertaining, we think of warm drinks and hot appetizers fresh out of the oven. We generally leave the frozen treats to summer and warmer weather. But Ciao Bella, an artisanal gelato company, saw the holiday season as an opportunity to play with flavor. Ciao Bella, available at Whole Foods, currently offers tasty flavors like Montebianco, Cranberry, and Pumpkin to make the holidays a little brighter. To help you better serve them at your next holiday soirée, the team at Ciao Bella offered up an array of tips and recipes that will be a hit at your next holiday party!
For more holiday cheer, visit The Daily Meal's Ultimate Holiday Guide!
What makes Ciao Bella different from other gelatos?
Ciao Bella offers a collection of premium, artisan gelato with ingredients [that] are ethically sourced from across the globe and hand-selected by our Italian-born chef who perfects every delicious recipe. Ciao Bella is committed to hand-selecting the finest quality ingredients and crafting them into today's best flavor interpretations, taking treats and desserts to an entirely new level for those who share our passion, appreciation, and unconditional love for food. Additionally, we are the only premium gelato and sorbetto brand that is committed to fresh flavor innovation. We offer seasonal rotational flavors, and a new-to-the-world gelato or sorbetto is available for a limited period of six months.
What is the best way to serve them? A DIY bar?
This depends on the flavor. Sorbettos are so simple and pure that they tend to lend themselves best to simple plating, such as in a bowl or in a dish. Or, in a cocktail glass with just a splash of wine or prosecco. For the most part, gelatos are also simple but creamy as well and can be paired with almost any kind of sauce or topping to add an extra layer of decadence. In addition, we also love the DIY nature of gelatos and cookies (a traditional gelato sandwich). To add a "wow factor," make fresh paninis at the table with vanilla pizzelles, a schmear of Nutella, and softened Ciao Bella gelato.
What makes these recipes great for the holidays?
These are all special for the holidays because they are custom created by our Italian-born chef Danilo to be twists on traditional, classic dessert items. The Pumpkin Sea Salt Caramel is a holiday-inspired flavor with an added twist from the sea salt and caramel swirl. The Cranberry Prosecco is a unique creation from our chef that he was inspired to create because he wanted to use cranberries, as he cooks with them a lot during the holidays. In addition, he personally loves the pairing of them with white sparkling wine, like a prosecco. The Montebianco flavor is a special creation, as chef Danilo's family grew up making a similar treat during the fall holidays back in Torino, Italy. It is based off of a roasted and cooked chestnut dessert draped with fresh whipped cream to resemble its namesake, White Mountain from the Italian Alps — very impressive.
How can these desserts 'replace' your typical holiday desserts?
While we still love the traditional desserts and don't want to replace them completely, our seasonal gelato varieties can complement any seasonal meal and satisfy a variety of tastes. For instance, our Cranberry Prosecco is perfect for cleansing your palate after a tasty holiday feast, while also making a staple ingredient in a seasonal cocktail. Both of our gelatos can be "dressed to impress" with the addition of simple toppings and some cute glassware bowls or used as the prime ingredient in an over-the-top homemade pizzelle/Nutella panini.
Pumpkin Pie Gelato Recipes
Click here for the Frozen Pumpkin Pie
Click here for the Pumpkin Nog
Cranberry Prosecco Recipes
Click here for the Cranberry Prosecco Mojito
Click here for the Cranberry Prosecco Cocktail
Montebianco Recipes
Click here for the Montebianco Mousse