Everyone can eat ice cream – but not everyone can get their ice cream cones looking as good as the

perfectly scooped ice cream cones that you pick up at a gelateria.  It can be infuriating when you try and create a perfect scoop, only to end up with flakes of ice cream or – worse ­– a hollow lump of ice cream that collapses when you try and place it in the cone. 

Getting it right is remarkably easy, however ­– with the following tips and tricks you’ll be scooping perfectly every time.

Here’s what you’ll need

• A mug (or a cup)

• A proper ice cream scoop
  (not just a spoon!)

• Warm water

• Cone

• A tub of Italian-style gelato
  (we recommend Beau’s!)

• Any toppings and sauces you fancy

Method

First, you’ll want to take your gelato out of the freezer ten minutes before serving. Proper Italian gelato is richer, denser and contains less air than your average shop-bought ice cream. As a result, it takes a bit longer at room temperature to reach the perfect scooping consistency – a bit like decanting a fine wine!

While your gelato is sitting on the side, place your scoop in hot water for a couple of minutes. This helps the metal to warm and lets you scoop more effectively.

 When your gelato is ready to scoop, shake off any excess water, place the scoop at the edge of the tub and scoop around the edges, forming a ball with the ice cream.

 Push the ball around the edges, going back and forth ­– building it up as if you were making a snowball.

Once you’ve done this, go around the edges with your scoop and then through the middle so that you’re left with a flat surface in the tub. This is important in helping to preserve the quality and texture of the remaining gelato, as it reduces surface area and helps avoid oxidation and the formation of an ice cream ‘crust’.

Place your ball of gelato on top of your cone and push down gently with the scoop, being careful not to break the cone.

If you want to make it a double (or triple, you bold scooping extremist!), place the cone in the mug/cup to hold it steady before you go back for the next scoop and repeat the process above.

As a word of caution, if you’re going for a triple scoop cone then you might want an additional pair of hands (or a cone holder) to keep your cone safe as you build!

When you’re satisfied with your gelato stack, add any sauces, toppings and wafers that you want – or just dig straight in!