Cool your world with homemade ice cream
From M&Ms and cookies to garlic and corn, discover your own favorite flavor for summer's No. 1 treat.
from the July 11, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
Vanilla ice cream
4 cups heavy cream, or 2 cups heavy cream and 2 cups light cream
3/4 cups granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons pure (not artificial) vanilla
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Pour into an electric or hand-cranked ice-cream maker and process according to manufacturer's directions.
Makes 1 luscious quart.
The following recipes are from "A Passion for Ice Cream," by Emily Luchetti. The chunky strawberry sauce is the perfect topping for vanilla ice cream, among others. The sugared mint leaves can garnish most any flavored ice cream. Lime ice cream may be topped with blueberries. Ms. Luchetti likes to use kosher salt in her recipes. Other salts will work as well. Note: You'll need a candy thermometer for the lime ice cream recipe.
Lime ice cream with sugared mint leaves
For the lime ice cream:
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher (coarse) salt
2-1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
1-1/4 cups milk
Grated zest of 3 limes
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
For the sugared mint leaves:
1 egg white
About 3 tablespoons sugar
18 fresh mint leaves
To make the ice cream: In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of sugar, and the salt. Combine the cream, milk, lime zest, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan. Heat the cream and milk over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until almost simmering. Slowly pour the hot liquid into the egg-and-sugar mixture, whisking as you pour. Return the egg-and-cream mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant plastic or wooden spatula, until the custard reaches 175 degrees F. and lightly coats the spatula.
Strain the custard into a clean bowl, discarding the lime zest. Cool over an ice bath (a large bowl filled with ice) until room temperature. Stir in the lime juice. Refrigerate for four hours or as long as overnight. Churn in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Freeze for about four hours until scoopable, depending on your freezer.
To make the mint leaves: In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Put the sugar in another small bowl. Using a pastry brush, very lightly brush both sides of a mint leaf with the egg white. Dip the leaf into the sugar, completely coating it. Place the mint leaf on a plate. Repeat with the remaining mint leaves, making sure they are not touching as you place them on the plate. Let sit at room temperature until dry, about four hours. Store in a single layer in an airtight container.
Divide ice cream into six bowls. Garnish with mint leaves. Blueberries may also be added, if you wish. Serves 6.
Sometimes, you don't want a smooth sauce, you want little chunks to give it more personality. As always, taste the sauce for sweetness before adding all the sugar, as the sweetness of the strawberries will vary.
Chunky strawberry sauce
2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup sugar, plus more if needed
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Large pinch of kosher (coarse) salt
Cut two-thirds of the berries into quarters and puree them in a food processor until smooth. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve, discarding the seeds.
Cut the remaining berries into 1/2-inch pieces. Stir them into the puree along with the 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Taste for sweetness. Add more sugar if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
The sauce can be made as much as two days in advance.
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