Summer cool-downs
Vanilla ice cream is a bore. It’s time to explore a world of flavour
Can a big number of tweets really tell us which ice cream flavours people like best? I’ll skip such social-media polls and stick with freshly churned data from the International Dairy Foods Association, thank you, which finds vanilla just edging out chocolate as the top-selling ice cream flavour. Again. But wait. There’s a reason vanilla always ranks so high year after year, and it’s not because we are nation of bland tastebuds. IDFA’s surveys are based on numbers that include what is sold in scoop shops, in food stores and in restaurants. When you think about which ice cream is most often placed on a la mode desserts and gets blended into shakes, the rankings make sense.
The flavours that tend to grab our attention are the stuff of mad scientists, albeit ones with good taste. To wit: your Black Sesame and your Everything But the Kitchen Sink, two of the flavours identified in this year’s survey as “most daring or creative.”
In eschewing the same-old, we looked for intrigue when we dove into this summer’s ice cream cookbooks. We mulled the merits of savoury ingredients and appreciated how sweet treats can translate into creamy smoothness. As always, we like to keep up with the newest ways to bypass the churning and do without the dairy.
Here are some new ones to try.
Roasted Carrot Ice Cream With Hazelnut Sesame-Seed Crumble
12 servings (makes 1 ½ quarts)
Roasted carrots lend their sweetness and a lovely colour to this ice cream, which is graced with a terrific crumble.
We found in testing that honey used to coat the roasting carrots tended to burn in spots and create a charred taste that does not translate well to the ice cream base, so
you may want to watch them closely in the oven and avoid that scorching.
You’ll need an instant-read thermometer and an ice cream maker.
MAKE AHEAD: The ice cream base needs to be refrigerated overnight. The churned ice cream needs to firm up in the freezer for at least 3 hours, and will keep for 1 to 2 months. The crumble will keep for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container.
Adapted from “Simple Fare: Spring and Summer,” by Karen Mordechai (Harry N. Abrams, 2017).
For the ice cream
12 medium carrots (about 1 pound), scrubbed well
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup honey
4 large egg yolks
4 cups heavy cream
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and pod reserved Peruvian pink salt, for garnish (optional)
For the crumble
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup water
½ cup chopped, unsalted skinned hazelnuts
1 cup white sesame seeds
For the ice cream: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss the carrots with the oil and 1 tablespoon of the honey. Arrange them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast (middle rack) for 20 to 35 minutes, turning once halfway through, until tender and just starting to caramelize (see headnote). Let cool, then transfer to a food processor and purée until smooth. The yield is 1 cup.
Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl, until smooth.
Combine 3 cups of the heavy cream, the sugar, vanilla bean pod and seeds, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of honey in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the carrot purée until completely incorporated. Cook, whisking, until the mixture reaches 130 degrees, then remove the pan from the heat.
While whisking, slowly drizzle about one-quarter of the creamcarrot mixture into the egg yolks (to temper it), then pour it all back into the pan and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture reaches between 170 and 175 degrees. Do not go above this range or the egg yolks may scramble. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 cup of cream. Strain the mixture through a finemesh strainer into a glass container, cover and refrigerate overnight. Discard the solids.
Churn the chilled ice cream base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Scrape the ice cream into a jar or pan, cover with a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper pressed directly to the surface of the ice cream, and freeze until firm, about 3 hours.
For the crumble: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine both sugars, the butter and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until the sugars have dissolved and the mixture is bubbling. Stir in the nuts and sesame seeds, then remove from the heat and pour onto the baking sheet. Use a spatula to spread the nuts and seeds into an even layer. Bake (middle rack) for about 13 minutes, until the syrup has set and is lightly golden. Let cool completely.
Even though the cooled slab may still be pliable, break it into pieces and transfer to a food processor; pulse to a coarse-crumb consistency.
To serve, scoop the ice cream into bowls and top with a sprinkling of the crumble and pink salt, if using. Nutrition | Per serving (without the crumble): 400 calories, 3 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates, 33 g fat, 19 g saturated fat, 170 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fibre, 22 g sugar
Rhubarb-Elderfower Sorbet 4 servings (makes 1 pint), Healthy
This non-dairy frozen dessert is beautiful, bright-tasting and subtly floral. You’ll need an ice cream maker. MAKE AHEAD: The sorbet mixture needs to firm up in the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.
Adapted from “The Lost Kitchen: Recipes and a Good Life Found in Freedom, Maine,” by Erin French (Clarkson Potter, 2017).
2 cups chopped rhubarb (from about 6 medium stalks)
¼ cup sugar
Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon elderflower liqueur
¾ cup simple syrup (see NOTE)
Combine the rhubarb, sugar and lemon zest and juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until tender and soft, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
Stir in the liqueur and simple syrup, then strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large liquid measuring cup. Discard the solids. Pour the strained mixture into an ice cream maker container and churn for about 50 minutes, until visibly thicker and smooth.
Transfer to a freezer-safe container, cover and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until firm.
NOTE: To make the simple syrup, combine ¾ cup sugar and ¾ cup water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to boil just long enough for the sugar to dissolve, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool. Pour into a jar with a lid and refrigerate for up to a week.
Nutrition | Per serving: 180 calories, 0 g protein, 45 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fibre, 40 g sugar
Fresh Cheese Ice Cream With Blackberries
16 servings (makes about 1 ¼ quarts)
This ice cream is refreshingly tangy and tart; we think it’s a winner for summer.
You can use requeson (see below) or queso fresco, but the latter will yield a slightly saltier ice cream. You’ll need an ice cream maker.
Note: This ice cream freezes quite firm, so you may want to let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or so before scooping.
Requeson is a fresh, ricottastyle Mexican cheese, available in Latin markets.
MAKE AHEAD: The base mixture needs to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight. The churned ice cream needs to be frozen for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Adapted from “Mexican Ice Cream: Beloved Recipes and Stories,” by Fany Gerson (Ten Speed Press, 2017).
2 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons water
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 ounces requeson or queso fresco (see headnote; may substitute part-skim ricotta)
1 ½ cups half-and-half
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
Combine the blackberries, confectioners’ sugar and water in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the berries are bubbling and the mixture has thickened a bit, then transfer to a heatproof bowl. Gently mash the berries with the back of a spoon, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Combine the cream cheese, 3 ounces of the requeson or queso fresco, the half-and-half, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, salt and corn syrup in a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl; add the cream and the remaining 3 ounces of requeson or queso fresco, whisking gently to incorporate. The mixture should be slightly chunky. Cover and refrigerate until the base is cold, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Whisk the base to recombine, then transfer to the container of an ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and mix in the chilled blackberry mixture.
For a soft consistency, serve right away; for a firm consistency, cover and freeze for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Nutrition | Per serving: 180 calories, 3 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates, 12 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 95 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fibre, 14 g sugar