Rainy days call for WAFFLES!

Today was a bit of a grey and miserable rainy day, so whilst out on my weekend walk my boyfriend and I decided to stop off at Gelato Mio, an ice cream parlour / cafe in our home town Muswell Hill. It has been open for ages but we'd not yet visited. We'd been tempted in the summer months to try out their ice cream but the queues were out the door and down the street!

So today we ducked out of the rain and into the cosy glow of the shop, lured by the prospect of warm, comforting, chocolate drenched waffles! Gelato Mio is a London chain and they are best known for their gelato. The guy serving us today told us some v.interesting facts about gelato, in an attempt to sell us some, but in this cold weather, waffles were always going to win! Here are some gelato facts I've taken from GM's website, and a pic of the yummy gelato on sale today!

1. Gelato has less fat than ice cream, on average 50-60% less. However, less fat does not mean less taste. Gelato, although creamier and more flavourful than ice cream actually has fewer calories. 

2. Gelato has a much higher density than ice cream. Ice Cream manufacturers add air to ice cream because it nearly doubles the quantity of their product without increasing their costs. Unlike ice cream, very little air is added to gelato, resulting in a higher quality product with a rich, creamier taste.

3. Gelato is served at a slightly warmer temperature than ice cream. While both gelato and ice cream are served well below freezing, in order to maintain its creamy consistency, gelato is typically kept at about 10 degrees warmer than ice cream. This results in a further enhanced taste as it melts in your mouth. 

We decided to opt for waffles and earl grey tea. We've recently been on holiday to Belgium and experienced a bit of waffle mania (think 1-2 waffles per day....dangerous!), so we wanted to try a bit of waffle action on our home turf! I chose chocolate sauce and my boyfriend chose caramel sauce. 

The waffles were really yummy, although I have to say I did prefer the ones from Belgium! I did not complain though and cleaned my plate!

I think I'll definitely be visiting again to try out the gelato - 50% less fat than regular ice cream, more flavour, less calories - sounds like my kind of sweet treat!

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