Cool Licks

My first taste of gelato came on a sultry June afternoon on a winding, back street in Rome.  Exhausted from a morning of elbowing past tourists at the Trevi Fountain and forging my way through the throngs at the Forum, I ducked into a storefront bearing the name “gelateria.”  To my inexperienced eyes, the cheery, glass-fronted shop resembled an ice cream parlor.  However, instead of round, plastic tubs of ice cream, small metal troughs filled with colorful, velvety confections lined the chin-high, refrigerated cases.

Eagerly I pointed at a container of pale green pistachio gelato, a standard flavor in Italy.  Seconds later I held in my hand a small cup of the cool treat.  One bite of this smooth, rich relative of ice cream and I was hooked.

Although I first sampled it in 21st century Rome, gelato’s origins date back to 16th century Florence and the Medici court.   Introduced to the Florentines by architect Bernardo Buontalenti, it has shown no sign of losing its grip on this modern day diner’s taste buds.    

Back at home I pounded the pavement in search of authentic Italian gelato.  It was at Sprazzo Cafe, on the corner of North High and Gay Streets in West Chester, that my quest ended.  There I stepped off the downtown, brick sidewalk and into a world of Italian delicacies.

Opened in June 2005, the family-owned and operated Sprazzo Cafe offers an array of traditional foods.  From 22 handcrafted gelatos, crunchy biscotti and cannolis to bold espressos, soups and paninis I can get my fix of Italian rustic cuisine   

The motivation behind opening Sprazzo was a simple one.  “We had seen how Italians can sit and savor a gelato or cup of coffee and wanted to present this slice of Italy, where people slow down and enjoy the simple things,” says co-owner Danielle Fagnani, whose family has relatives in Abruzzi and on the outskirts of Rome.

Previously the Fagnanis had run 32° Desserts in Wayne.  Like Sprazzo, 32° Desserts specialized in gelato as well as ice cream.  After three years the family moved the business to the two-story, turn-of-the 20th century, serpentine stone building in West Chester.     

Along with changing locations and expanding their offerings, they switched names.  As Danielle points out, in Italian “sprazzo” means a flash or burst.  At the aptly dubbed cafe I experienced a rush of flavor with every spoonful of Irish cream-laced mudd slide. 

The reason for such intensity lies, in part, in the compactness of this chilled sweet.  “We whip the air out of the gelato, to practically zero percent, so that it’s denser than ice cream,” she says. 

Customarily, gelato contains less air -- under 35 percent air -- than its iced relation.  Served at a slightly warmer temperature, it also possesses a smoother, creamier texture and does not numb the palate as ice cream often does.  With gelato the taste lingers longer and stronger.

Heavy in flavor does not mean high in fat.  Made with whole milk, gelato has between four to eight percent butterfat and employs heavy cream as a thickener, not as a main ingredient.   Ice cream, with its cream base, varies from 10 to18 percent butterfat.  No wonder I never experience the nagging thirst that comes whenever I devour an ice cream cone, sundae or shake.

At Sprazzo the creation of a perfect gelato relies upon “the balance of ingredients,” says Bob Fagnani, a veteran of the restaurant industry as well as Sprazzo’s “gelato chef” and Danielle and Jack Fagnani’s son. 

Bob first became intrigued by this balancing act when managing restaurants that showcased the treat on their dessert menus.  He did two years of research, including attending gelato-making classes in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, before starting the family business.  Today he carefully marries together milk, cream, flavorings, stabilizers and sugar on a daily basis.     

Every few months Bob experiments with different flavors and requests staff as well as customer input on his creations.  Some favorites include Milano mocha, a chocolate gelato with crushed chocolate, the hazelnut-infused nocciola, anise with crushed anise biscotti mixed into it, Chai tea and roasted almond. 

“Basically, any ice cream flavor can go into gelato,” he says. 

The cafe’s curved, glass gelato case bears witness to this.  If in the mood for a fruity repast, I could indulge in a three-, five- or seven-ounce cup of strawberry, lemon, banana, raspberry pound cake or coconut.  Dished into a striped and scalloped plastic cup, it comes with a miniature sugar cone perched on top.   

Craving something nutty, I could take home a pint or quart of almond, pistachio, hazelnut, or gianduia, a chocolate-hazelnut mixture. Hankering a tried and true taste, I could opt for a cone of Mexican vanilla, Tahitian vanilla bean or stracciatella, smooth vanilla studded with slivers of chocolate. 

Prices range from $3.54 to $4.86 for individual cups.  Pre-packed pints and quarts go for $7.50 and $14. 

Although cold and refreshing on a sultry summer day, gelato should not be dismissed as a mere summertime sweet.  Italians consume it throughout the day and year, noshing on it between and after meals and even before dinner.

“It’s not just a summer product; it’s a dessert,” Danielle says.   

Keeping this year-round popularity and meal-ending status in mind, the Fagnanis have made gelato the headliner of their dessert menu, starring in such specialties as affogato.  In Italian affogato means “drowned.”  At Sprazzo it translates into scoops of gelato swimming in a sea of espresso, vanilla-imbued whipped cream and flavored sauce.  Caramelita affogato is a caramel lover’s dream -- caramel gelato drenched in espresso, whipped cream and caramel sauce while bianco ultimo offers a trio of delights, vanilla gelato floating in espresso and white chocolate sauce.   
   
Likewise, gelato plays a prominent role in the cafe’s signature dessert, “holy cannoli.”  Here crispy pastry shells are filled with creamy gelato and frozen like popsicles on sticks.  Drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with a dollop of whipped cream, they put traditional Sicilian cannoli and their sweetened mascarpone cheese filling to shame.

When ordering bruschetta, I can forget about the customary slice of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and sprinkled with olive oil, salt, pepper, basil and tomatoes.  The Fagnani family’s creative take on bruschetta features a rum-soaked anise biscotti slathered with nocciola gelato and finished off with a splash of coffee sauce.

Enthralled by my Sprazzo experiences, I have tried to recreate these delectable goodies at home.  Unfortunately, my little KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment cannot compete in quantity or quality produced.  Bob Fagnani employs a machine imported from Italy that can whip up 20 quarts, or five gallons, in four to seven minutes.  Cobbled onto my stand mixer, my ice cream maker churns out a maximum of two quarts, or a half gallon, in an interminable half hour. 

Then there is the issue of taste.  My flavorings hail from my neighborhood grocery stores.  Sprazzo’s, on the other hand, come from Italy and include traditional, as well as modern, Italian flavors.  

I lose out on shelf life as well.  In my 15-year old freezer homemade gelato keeps for about two weeks before succumbing to freezer burn.  As Bob pops his take-home pints and quarts in a blast freezer for 24 hours before selling, his products will remain fresh in my tetchy appliance for between four to seven months.

I am not alone in my appreciation of Sprazzo.  The cafe won “Best of the Best Desserts 2007” in County Lines Magazine and a critics’ choice award from Main Line Today.   Since the gelato can be purchased wholesale, restaurants such as Simon Pearce in West Chester, Chester Valley Country Club in Malvern and La Piazza in Honeybrook all feature it on their menus.      
This popularity comes as no surprise.  Every effort is made to make not only the food but also the dining experience pleasurable and memorable.  In warmer weather I can lounge outside at one of seven 4-seat, wrought iron tables and cool off with “cocoa-freddo,” a frozen hot chocolate, or a smoothie, ice cream soda or shake.  Inside on the first floor I can slip into a cushioned, wrought-iron chair and enjoy a sorbetto, Italian water ice, ice cream or, of course, gelato at one of five round, mosaic-tiled tables. 

Upstairs the Persian-blue walls with swirling S’s stenciled in varying colors, rough-hewn hardwood floor, exposed beams and a white-washed ceiling evoke the look and feel of Tuscany.  Plush, upholstered chairs, ample workspace, free Wi-Fi, a large flat-screen television and seating for 35 make this area a perfect place for meetings, parties, or simply a break from the office. 

The Fagnanis make good use of this attractive space.  Open mic nights are held here on Tuesdays, live music on Fridays.  Lectures, poetry readings, classic movie nights and meetings take place throughout the week and year.  During the winter holidays gingerbread and cookie decorating classes are offered for parents and their children.  

As Sprazzo serves an assortment of soups, sandwiches and “pizza piccolo,” or eight-inch pizzas, patrons are encouraged to bring along a bottle of wine to enjoy with their meals and cafe-sponsored events.  It is all about relaxing and enjoying the wholesome food and comfortable atmosphere. 

With the success of the West Chester location plans are in progress to expand Sprazzo’s reach.  “We’re working toward franchising in Delaware, specifically Rehoboth.  We may also open two smaller scale cafes, ‘Sprazzo Express,’ in Delaware or around King of Prussia,” Bob says.

With its delicious hand-crafted treats, festive environs and fun-filled activities Sprazzo Cafe’s expansion can only be seen as a benefit to the dining region.  Authentic Italian gelato and trattoria cuisine within everyone’s grasp.

Located at 27 North High Street in West Chester, Penn., Sprazzo Cafe is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 10 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 11 PM.  Call 610-344-7435 for a schedule of events, to order gelato or to arrange a private function at the cafe. 

3 cups whole milk
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon instant coffee

Place the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat on medium.  Stir the milk until the sugar has dissolved and bubbles have formed around the edges. 

Whisk in the instant coffee until the granules have dissolved. 

Remove the saucepan from the burner and place in an ice cold bowl of water.  Stir the pan’s contents until they have cooled, about 5 minutes.   

Remove the pan from the bowl, cover, and chill for at least 1 hour.  Once chilled, follow the manufacturer’s directions for the ice cream maker.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT GELATO
Serves 4

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 cup cocoa powder, measured then sifted to remove lumps
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped

Toast then finely chop the hazelnuts.  Place the nuts, along with the milk and cream, in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges but the milk is not boiling.

Slowly add the sifted cocoa powder to the milk and nuts, stirring until all the cocoa has dissolved. 

In a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolks and sugar.  Add 1 tablespoon of the heated cocoa mixture to the eggs, stirring to combine, then add ¼ cup of the warmed cocoa to the eggs, once again stirring to combine. 
Slowly pour the egg-cocoa mix into the saucepan.  Continually stirring, heat the ingredients on medium until the custard thickens and can coat the back of a wooden spoon. 

Remove the saucepan from the burner.  Using a fine mesh colander or chinois, strain the custard into a bowl.  Place this bowl into another bowl containing ice cold water.  Stir the custard until it has cooled, about 5 minutes.   

Cover the custard and chill for at least 1 hour.  Once chilled, follow the manufacturer’s directions for the ice cream maker.