At the request of FrantzM on another thread..... a Blueberry (or almost any berry) ice cream recipe.
Basic ice cream custard:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup non-homogenized milk
3 jumbo egg yolks (or 4 large ones)
1/2 cup unbleached raw sugar
Blend the above together into a large heavy sauce pot (preferably copper clad stainless steel). You want at least a sauce pot with very thick aluminum because it is important not to scald or have hot spots for the smoothest custard. Raw sugar is important for the texture - sweeteners just don't make it. Corn syrup makes for the best texture, but I don't like the taste of corn syrup. Agave syrup does not work. I have not tried stevia, but I suspect that it would not work either.
Over low-medium heat, stir constantly with a bamboo spoon until it begins to thicken (around 150 deg F, 65 deg C). Lower the heat and keep stirring until it thickens to be able to cover the back of the spoon. I haven't measured when it does that, but it does require a bit of patience. Do not use too high a heat or you run the risk of curdling the custard. The faster way of doing it is to boil the milk/cream, and coddle the egg yolks in but I find that the texture is not as good.
Once it is done, take it off the heat, continue stirring and let it cool. Cover with cling wrap, cut a few holes in it to let any steam out and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight if possible.
Into that basic ice cream custard, you can put various fruit. My favourite is blueberries in season.
2 cups blueberries
1 cup raw sugar
juice of 1 organic lemon
Cook in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the blueberries are soft and have released their juices. Crush the berries using a potato masher or large fork. While the juices are simmering, use a micro-plane and zest the lemon you just squeezed. Take off heat, pour the syrup into a blender and blend until smooth. Chill at least 3 hours or overnight.
When both the custard and the fruit syrup are chilled, mix both into an ice cream maker and churn. I like to throw in a handful of dark chocolate chips towards the end of the churn to get blueberry chocolate chip ice cream. You can also put in a couple of tablespoons of Cointreau or Grand Marnier right at the end for an even more luscious ice cream.
Dig in with a spoon and eat right out of the ice cream maker
Basic ice cream custard:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup non-homogenized milk
3 jumbo egg yolks (or 4 large ones)
1/2 cup unbleached raw sugar
Blend the above together into a large heavy sauce pot (preferably copper clad stainless steel). You want at least a sauce pot with very thick aluminum because it is important not to scald or have hot spots for the smoothest custard. Raw sugar is important for the texture - sweeteners just don't make it. Corn syrup makes for the best texture, but I don't like the taste of corn syrup. Agave syrup does not work. I have not tried stevia, but I suspect that it would not work either.
Over low-medium heat, stir constantly with a bamboo spoon until it begins to thicken (around 150 deg F, 65 deg C). Lower the heat and keep stirring until it thickens to be able to cover the back of the spoon. I haven't measured when it does that, but it does require a bit of patience. Do not use too high a heat or you run the risk of curdling the custard. The faster way of doing it is to boil the milk/cream, and coddle the egg yolks in but I find that the texture is not as good.
Once it is done, take it off the heat, continue stirring and let it cool. Cover with cling wrap, cut a few holes in it to let any steam out and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight if possible.
Into that basic ice cream custard, you can put various fruit. My favourite is blueberries in season.
2 cups blueberries
1 cup raw sugar
juice of 1 organic lemon
Cook in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the blueberries are soft and have released their juices. Crush the berries using a potato masher or large fork. While the juices are simmering, use a micro-plane and zest the lemon you just squeezed. Take off heat, pour the syrup into a blender and blend until smooth. Chill at least 3 hours or overnight.
When both the custard and the fruit syrup are chilled, mix both into an ice cream maker and churn. I like to throw in a handful of dark chocolate chips towards the end of the churn to get blueberry chocolate chip ice cream. You can also put in a couple of tablespoons of Cointreau or Grand Marnier right at the end for an even more luscious ice cream.
Dig in with a spoon and eat right out of the ice cream maker