Buttermint Ice Cream with White Chocolate, From Jeni's Ice Cream

July 15th will be National Ice Cream Day, so I'm getting an early jump start. Truthfully, every day is a good day for ice cream-- rain or shine.   I have posted five egg custard style ice cream recipes, since I started my blog. I give credit to David Lebovitz's book, "The Perfect Scoop" for introducing me to egg custard style ice cream.  It's one of my favorites. This book remains one of my favorite places to find flavor inspirations.

But, wait! I have a new "favorite" reference book for ice cream-- Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams At Home.   I've seen blog posts, that rave about Jeni's Ice Cream.  California is a long way from Ohio, so I've never had the pleasure of experiencing them myself.  My Reader's Digest Condensed cookbook review is this-- the majority of the ice cream flavors are completely out-of-the box!  To name a few: Chamomile Chardonnay, Sweet Corn & Black Raspberry, Olive Oil with Sea-Salted Pepitas, Gorgonzola Dolce with Candied Walnuts. and Goat Cheese and Roasted Cherry.  For those who don't find think these sound appealing (I do, I do!) there's salted caramel, milk chocolate, mint chocolate chip-- and lots more.  I rest my case.

I've been told that Jeni's ice creams are pricey.  I can understand why.  She uses organic, top-of-the-line quality ingredients.  It's a lovely book, with lovely photos of each ice cream recipe.

Each recipe has been created and tested specifically for a home ice cream maker. If you don't own an ice cream maker, or yours is gathering dust in a future garage sale box-- now is the time to dig it out!  I'm a fan of Haagen Dasz commercially made ice cream.  Making your own ice cream isn't as much hard work as you might think, especially if you buy an ice cream maker that doesn't require ice and salt..  Creating your very own flavors is even more gratifying-- as I've done with Lemon Curd Ice Cream, Pumpkin Pie Custard and Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. 

Jeni's recipe doesn't include eggs.  Instead, she uses cream cheese, corn syrup and a cornstarch slurry. In her stores, she uses tapioca starch, but she says that cornstarch is a fine substitute and easier to find.  She says that this prevents crystallization when the ice cream freezes.

 Cream cheese, sea salt & turmeric, whisked together

I enjoyed reading about how Jeni arrived at her recipe, and I bookmarked several flavors.   The first one I made is this "Savannah Buttermint" flavor.  Whenever I see the packaged mints at restaurants, I grab a couple.

 I love that buttery mint flavor, and how they dissolve in my mouth.  That's what this ice cream tastes like.  I love white chocolate, so this would be the maiden voyage Jeni's Ice Cream recipe for me!

Right out of the gate, I ran into on stumbling block-- I didn't have "natural butter flavor" nor "pure peppermint essential oil".  I did, however, have Loranns Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor and pure peppermint extract.  That will have to do.

Tumeric is used to give the ice cream a soft, yellow color.  (I keep turmeric to make yellow rice, and it's a cheap substitute for saffron.)

The base uses whole milk, heavy cream, sugar and light corn syrup. (2 Tablespoons of the milk is whisked with cornstarch, and set aside.)

Bring the mixture to a rolling boil (and don't walk away, like I did-- the milk almost boiled over!) This is important-- boil for four minutes.  Then, remove from heat...

...and whisk in the cornstarch slurry.

Bring the mixture back to a boil, then stir with a heatproof spatula until slightly thickened; about one minute.

Gradually add the hot mixture to the cream cheese mixture...

...then carefully pour the mixture into a 1-Gallon ZipLoc Freezer Bag and submerge the bag into an ice bath.

It takes about 30 minutes for the mixture to cool, as long as you use plenty of ice.  I wonder if I could just put the hot mixture into the refrigerator?  I'm not sure.  I rarely stray from a recipe's directions, the first time.  I might test this, but today, I'm following directions.

I was disappointed to discover that in my vast collection of chocolates, I did not have a bar of white chocolate.  I had to use white chocolate chips, and I don't recommend that.  You see, chips have an additive that makes melting them not very easy to do.  Trust me, stick with chopping chocolate. I forged on, and did my best to melt it over a pot of simmering water.  While I struggled with that...

...I grabbed the ice cream bowl from my freezer (I no longer use the ice & salt method), but off the corner of the chilled mixture and squeezed it into the ice cream maker-- and let it churn.  I added 1 Tablespoon of the Buttery Sweet Dough Butter Flavor and 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract... tasting and adding more, until 1 teaspoon seemed just right.   (I didn't want the peppermint to overpower the butter flavor.)

When you slowly drizzle melted chocolate into churning ice cream, it will break off into flecks.  In my case, though, I got chunks.  Ah well, I love white chocolate, so chunks will have to do.

I took about 25 minutes, before I could hear the ice cream machine slowing down.  I took my first taste....

 ...and I did a Happy Dance!  Creamy. Rich. Buttery. Slightly Minty.  I got a taste of white chocolate.

I hid the ice cream way in the back of the freezer.  The wait for the ice cream to freeze had begun...

The next day... the ice cream needs to sit out for about 15 minutes.  It was firm, but not icy or rock hard.  Amen.    I loved the pretty light yellow color, too!

TASTING NOTES:   David Lebovitz, move over.  Jeni's in town!  You cannot distinguish the cream cheese flavor at all.  What you taste is creamy ice cream, that has a velvety mouth feel, and it's not super sweet.  This ice cream flavor tastes just like buttermint!  I love white chocolate.  If you don't, leave it out, and I think the flavor would still be great.

What perfect timing, when I spotted a recipe for "Funfetti Cookies".  I will post the recipe for these cookies, next, because you will want to make them.  I had this idea that the cookies would be a perfect complement to the ice cream.

My hunch was right.   Craig and I enjoyed our ice cream sandwich!

Would you like your own copy of this book?  If you love ice cream, and want to make your own, I'm giving away a copy to one lucky reader.  All you have to do is leave a comment, on my blog, and think up an ice cream flavor you would like to make.   That's right, I'm asking you for inspiration.  Sweet? Savory? Or something as simple as chocolate....or chocolate with....?  

I'll give you one more entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet my giveaway-- please leave a comment that you've done so.  If you aren't following me on my Facebook Fan Page, and you do so, please come back and let me know-- and there's one more entry.    You can earn a total of three entries, this way.

My giveaway will close on Friday, at 4pm.  I will randomly choose a winner.  I hate to do this, but I can only ship to the Continental United States.   GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. THE WINNER WILL BE POSTED WITH MY NEXT RECIPE.

Good luck!  I can't wait to hear our ice cream flavor ideas!

A printable recipe card is at the end of this post, so keep scrolling down; or click here to view it.

 

Meyer Lemon Basil Sorbet (with Limoncello)

Sorbets are one of the easiest frozen treats to make.   The first time I made Ruby Red Grapefruit Sorbet, my whole family loved it.  I learned that adding a little bit of vodka helps to prevent sorbets from crystallizing-- and gives a much smoother texture.  When I make Strawberry Sorbet, I add a little kirsch.

To make a sorbet, all you need to do is make a simple syrup (fancy word for sugar dissolved into water).  Add your favorite citrus juice (or puree), and you're in business.

One of my co-workers, brought a Meyer Lemon Sorbet, with basil, and asked me to taste it. She was test-driving it for a dinner party.  I fell in love with it, and couldn't stop longing for more. That very day, I bought basil and attacked our Meyer lemon tree (supplemented by some grocery store bought Meyers).

 

I've posted a Meyer Lemon Sorbet before, but I have to say that the basil adds a very interesting dimension. It takes almost a dozen Meyer lemons to make this sorbet.  If you can't find Meyer lemons, don't sweat it. Eureka lemons would work, fine, but they are a bit more tart-- so you might want to add more sugar.

Simple sugar is so easy to make, that I'm astounded that anyone would actually buy it! Really?  The ratio is equal parts sugar, added to water.  It's brought to a boil, then simmered until the sugar is dissolved.  This is how you make "sweet tea", or "Mojitos" or sorbets.  I store mine in a canning jar, with a tight-fitting lid, and it will keep for a couple of weeks.

The difference with this sorbet, is that you add fresh basil to the simple syrup, once it's removed from the heat.  How much basil you add is up to how much you LOVE basil.  In my first batch (yes, I loved it that much), I used about 1/2 cup worth.  In my next batch, I added double the basil and let it steep for a few hours.  The darker the simple syrup turns, the more basil flavor you will have. Two hours is what I find to be ideal.   Strain the simple syrup, cover it and allow it to chill.  I did this the day before, because I like my simple syrup to be well chilled.

Day #2, prepare the lemons: You want to save about two tablespoons of the zest.

It takes a lot of lemons to make this-- like 8-12, depending on the size.  This year, my Meyer lemon tree is still in shock from being moved out of it's large container, and being planted into the ground. I was also in sticker shock at how expensive Meyer lemons are to buy!  They are so worth it, since they have a slight flavor of orange to them.

Add the lemon juice and zest to the simple syrup.  Taste it!  Depending on the lemons, you might want to decrease the sugar or add more.  I found the batch to be a wee bit tart, but luckily  I had some extra simple syrup that I had made-- and added a bit more, until it tasted just right. I used a total of 1-3/4 cups sugar and it was perfect.

Turn on the ice cream maker, and pour it in...

I added two tablespoons of Lioncello. You an add vodka, instead. Or, you can skip the alcohol. No biggie, except that you might get a bit more of a crystal texture. It tastes good, no matter what.

Twenty minutes later... dee-lishush!

 Put the sorbet into an air-tight container and freeze.  To serve, bring to room temperature, anywhere from 5-15 minutes until it's just soft enough to scoop.

Before I squeezed out the lemon juice, I cut the bottom of each lemon half so that it would stand upright.  Then I removed the pulp, and froze the lemon halves.  They make a cute serving bowl, don't you think?

These are fun to serve at a dinner party.  Especially after a rich or heavy dish.  It's a lovely palate cleanser, for sure.

TASTING NOTES:  Lemon and Basil, as a sweet frozen dessert is a lovely combination.  My husband, didn't care of the combination.  I'm fine with that, as my son and I thoroughly loved this dessert.   These have the color and flavors of Spring.   This sorbet is one of my new favorites.

A printable recipe card is below.  If you can't view it, click here to be directed to where I store all of my recipes cards at Key Ingredient.
 

Strawberry Cheese Cake Ice Cream - Crust and All!

One of the best impulse buys I've ever had is the day I spotted an ice cream maker at my grocery store. It was at the end of summer, and it was marked down to $9.99!  That was three summers ago, and I've made many batches of delicious sorbets and ice creams.  I have made Philadelphia style ice cream, that unlike custards,  contains no egg yolks and does not require cooking. It's based purely on cream and sugar, and is very delicate-tasting, with few ingredients. But, now that I have mastered the art of making ice cream custard-- well, I'm smitten!  While the process involves whisking eggs and sugar, and tempering them into hot cream, it's so worth the extra effort.  I find that the ice cream results in a much creamier texture, with a richer flavor. What's not to love?   I had some strawberries that were a few days past their prime.  Sure, I could freeze them to make my Power Smoothies.  But, I had another idea-- I wanted to make a Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream.  Using my Universal Recipe Box ("Google") I landed on Joy The Baker's recipe.  Bingo!

The first thing I did was to make a strawberry puree (no photos).  It's pretty simple.  I hulled and washed 1 1/2 pint of strawberries and pureed them. I added a little bit of sugar and some lemon juice.  Into the fridge it went, until it was time...

I took a detour, since I didn't have 2 cups of half and half. Instead, I used 1 cup of whole milk and 1 cup of heavy cream.  In case you are wondering if you can use non-fat or low-fat milk, let me ask you... why?  I mean, if you're going to eat ice cream, then try not to cut the fat.  Ice cream needs fat to make it be-- well, ice cream!  Live a little! Exercise later. It's summer!

Vanilla bean is a wonderful thing. It's also expensive.  Meet my newest friend-- Singing Dog Vanilla Bean Paste is one of my favorite pantry items.  I buy mine at Whole Foods, or you can buy it on their website. They're also on Facebook.

You can use pure vanilla, of course-- and I also use Singing Dog Vanilla. Or, you can scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean. Moi?  I added a heaping teaspoon of the vanilla bean paste.  You can actually see vanilla bean seeds. Very cool!  While the milk/cream mixture begins to heat, to scalding over a medium-low heat--

...beat 4 ounces of room temperature cream cheese, two egg yolks and 2/3 cup of granulated sugar until fluffy-- about 2-3 minutes.  Once the milk/cream is hot (but not boiling) very gradually add it to the cream cheese mixture.  There are a couple ways of doing this-- you can add a ladle of the cream mixture to egg mixture, whisking all the while.  This should temper the eggs, so that they don't scramble. Because I'm comfortable making a cream Anglaise, I find that I can slowly add all of the scalded milk/cream mixture without any problems.  I tun this mixture through fine mesh sieve, in case there are any lumps.

Return the custard to the stove.  You can use a double boiler.  I don't, because I never leave my stove.  I have yet to burn a custard (crosses fingers).  You want to cook this mixture until it coats a spoon (at about 170F).  Sometimes I'll make an ice bath, and set a bowl inside.  This cools the custard quickly. This time, I didn't.  I like shortcuts, and if they work, I keep taking them!  I always strain the custard in a fine mesh sieve, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it.  I always chill my custards for a minimum of four hours-- but overnight is best.  You cannot rush these things!

I almost forgot!  Add about 1 cup of the strawberry puree, and some more vanilla.  Give it a good stir and now chill the whole ice cream custard mixture.

While the custard was chilling, I started to think--  what if I made a cheesecake crust and then added it to the ice cream?  What I love about Twitter and my Facebook Fan Page, is that I posed this very question to my wonderful readers.  I was encouraged to go for it.  I pulsed 5 graham crackers in my food processor, then added 3 Tablespoons of melted butter and 3 Tablespoons of white sugar. I pressed the mixture into 1/4 baking sheet and baked it at 350F for 10 minutes.

I had set aside the remaining 1/2 pint of strawberries and I chopped them.  They tasted a wee bit tart, so I sprinkled a little bit of powdered sugar on top.

 

Early in the evening, it was time to churn ice cream. 

The macerated berries and cheesecake "crust" bits were at the ready. I added my chilled custard to the ice cream maker and let it rip for about 25 minutes.

Ooooh, soft ice cream!  I can't lie.  I took a few generous tastes. Seriously good.  I was doing a happy dance.

I gently folded in the strawberries...

 ...then gently folded in about half of the graham cracker crust.

As I began to transfer the ice cream into a 1-Quart container, I added a couple more thin layers of graham cracker crust.  (I still have some leftover, but it'll keep in the fridge for a bit.)  This is where patience really comes in.  It has to freeze for a few hours. 

One benefit of churning ice cream, is scraping out the frozen bits.  So good!The next day (today....)

The ice cream had hardened quite a bit (this is what happens when you don't add stabilizer ingredients, that you can't pronounce).  I let the ice cream sit on the counter for about 15 minutes.  I haven't tried letting it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.  Let's see, 15 minute wait or 30 minute wait? Patience isn't my strongest virtue.

VERDICT:    This is strawberry cheesecake in a frozen form.  The balance of cream cheese flavor to the sweetness of red strawberries is perfect.  I loved the crunch of the "crust" bits and pieces. I'm so glad that I decided to add that component to the original recipe.  This cream cheese ice cream custard base is a keeper. As for the leftover graham cracker crust bits?  Oh, I can see Batch #2 coming up really soon!   I can see so many cheesecake flavor possibilities-- lemon cheesecake? Yes!  Mocha? Heck ya!  Blueberry? Why not? 

If you don't own an ice cream maker, you're missing out one of the most rewarding homemade desserts you can make. There's something really special about serving homemade ice cream, that will impress any dinner guest.  I only wish I could share a taste of all of this with you wonderful readers.

I'd better get busy and grill us some dinner.  I haven't been blogging as often as I'd like to, mainly because we've been grilling very simple dinners. Do you really need a recipe for grilled burgers or chicken?  During the summer, I'm happy with very simple grilled meats and veggies.  Most of our favorites are already on my blog!

Our sweet tooth, however, is always longing to try something new.  I just have to stick to teensie smaller portions!

As always, a printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post. Now, go make ice cream and conquer!

Happy Summer!