We All Scream for Ice-Cream

The mastermind behind Morelli's gelato: Giuseppe Morelli and his ice-cream van

Heat-wave alert! The weather forecast promises another run of sunshine for this week and of course, there’s one tasty treat we all crave on a sweltering summer’s day (it's ice-cream, duh!). Sure, swirly 99’s from a tinkling van hit the spot, but if you haven’t discovered the creamy, perfectly candied genius that is Morelli’s Gelato, you haven’t experienced heaven in a cone (or cup!). Giuseppe Morelli is the Italian mastermind behind this frozen dream, having founded the company in 1907 with his son Mario (they bonded selling their concoctions from a bicycle in the street!) In time, the bicycle got upgraded to the traditional van, and in 1932 the Morelli father-son duo opened their first ice-cream parlour, overlooking the beautiful bay of Broadstairs in Kent. Although Harrods London boasts a slick, contemporary version of this Gelateria, to this day the Broadstairs parlour remains the historic flagship store, and living just several miles from it, I can emphasise first-hand its magnetism!


Broadstairs Seafront

A retro paradise- Morelli's flagship diner in Broadstairs of Kent



A slick Morelli's of Harrods, London

The parlour itself is still reminiscent of a 50’s coffee bar, yet to me it also alludes to the retro American diners that boasted roller-skating waitresses and those trademark squashy leatherette sofas. There’s a novelty indoor soda fountain, a working jukebox and plenty of enchanting vintage photographs decorate the peach-coloured walls. Customers can devour sundaes, complete with an explosion of wafer fans, cocktail umbrellas and glacé cherries, or sip frothy cappuccinos while admiring these framed memories of the British seaside resort. The atmosphere is contagious, the service smooth and the product divine.
 

Take a trip to this time warp of a dessert lover’s paradise to taste flavours such as apple, white chocolate, tiramisu, coconut, caramel and current summer special, fresh mint lemonade. If you do return totally inspired, and I guarantee you will, have a go at this recipe for home-made strawberry meringue ice-cream: blissful served with a glass of Pimm’s in the garden.

You will need:

 

300ml double cream

250g Greek yoghurt

2 level dessert spoons icing sugar

A punnet of strawberries (extra yummy if freshly picked!)

Meringue nests (as many as you like!)

Mmm.

With an electric whisk, whip the cream, along with the yoghurt and icing sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Crush the meringue nests into bite-size pieces and fold gently into the mixture.

Mash the strawberries (destalked!) into a bowl with a fork- mix with several tablespoons of strawberry compote if desired for extra flavour- and add them to the mixture.

Pour the mixture into a lidded container or loaf tin and freeze until set- this could be anything from three hours to overnight.

Defrost for five minutes plus before serving; then dish up with your cutest ice-cream scoop and a sprinkling of extra berries.





Anthropologie Colourblock Ice Cream Scoop £16



Dot Com Giftshop Set of 6 Vintage Party Ice Cream Tubs with Spoons £2.95

Visit the Morelli’s site here: http://www.morellisgelato.com/