Ice Creams & Sorbets
Now I have finally have an ice cream machine I need to make use of it!
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Spiced Pumpkin or Butternut Squash Ice Cream
dessert veg
I adapted this from David Lebovitz,
and he adapted it from
The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco & Mindy Fox.
So we're all just innocent adapters really.
Although the recipe calls for pumpkin I used a (largish) butternut squash, which I halved and roasted cut-side down at Gas Mark 6 for 40 minutes or so until it had completely softened before puréeing with a potato masher. For one thing I couldn't find any pumpkins, it being half past Hallowe'en and for another I thought the squash would probably taste better.
You could use canned pumpkin, but make sure it's pure pumpkin, and not some adulterated pie filling.
Although the recipe calls for pumpkin I used a (largish) butternut squash, which I halved and roasted cut-side down at Gas Mark 6 for 40 minutes or so until it had completely softened before puréeing with a potato masher. For one thing I couldn't find any pumpkins, it being half past Hallowe'en and for another I thought the squash would probably taste better.
You could use canned pumpkin, but make sure it's pure pumpkin, and not some adulterated pie filling.
Makes about 1 litre
Ingredients
- 300ml milk
- 300 ml double cream
- 50g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly-grated ginger I started with about 2" of root
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1-2 blades mace
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup packed (60 g) dark brown sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
- 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier, rum or brandy optional
- 3/4 cup (180 g) pumpkin or butternut squash purée, canned or homemade
Optional Fillings or Toppings:- pecan praline my personal choice
- white or milk chocolate chips
- crushed caramel
- chopped Skor or Daim bars (butter almond)
- chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
- candied ginger
- crumbled gingersnaps
- pieces of gingerbread
Bring the milk and most of the cream to boiling point in a saucepan along with the split vanilla pod (scrape the seeds into the milk too),
the grated ginger grate it on the roughest of a block grater, the cinnamon stick, nutmeg, mace and salt to taste.
Beat the egg yolks with the sugars until it turns creamy and thickens enough to draw figure of eights in.
Reheat the milk mixture and beat it gradually into the egg mix, pouring it in through a seive to remove the spices.
Return the mixture to the pan and heat it carefully to just 80°C/175°F until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly.
Fold in the pumpkin mixture, push through a fine sieve this is worth it - pumpkin can be a bit grainy or stringy and chill in the freezer for a couple of hours, or the fridge overnight.
When you're ready to churn your ice cream, add the liquer I added Grand Marnier whip the remaining cream until it thickens somewhat and fold it into the mixture. Add in the crushed pecan praline or your chosen filling, and pour into the ice cream machine.
Confession time - I overdid the salt;
putting in about half a teaspoon, so had to remedy the situation by using more pumpkin than was probably ideal
and going a bit heavier on the spices than I otherwise would have.
Leave the milk to infuse for half an hour or so.Beat the egg yolks with the sugars until it turns creamy and thickens enough to draw figure of eights in.
Reheat the milk mixture and beat it gradually into the egg mix, pouring it in through a seive to remove the spices.
Return the mixture to the pan and heat it carefully to just 80°C/175°F until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly.
Fold in the pumpkin mixture, push through a fine sieve this is worth it - pumpkin can be a bit grainy or stringy and chill in the freezer for a couple of hours, or the fridge overnight.
When you're ready to churn your ice cream, add the liquer I added Grand Marnier whip the remaining cream until it thickens somewhat and fold it into the mixture. Add in the crushed pecan praline or your chosen filling, and pour into the ice cream machine.
I added in a batch of powdered praline made with 100g pecans and a tablespoon of Amaretto.
Despite the oversalting this was pretty good - if a bit on the heavy side. With all the spices it might make a better Christmas ice cream though,
I was going to serve it with some reserved whole caramel pecans and a hot ginger syrup but didn't get around to it.
The original version uses rather more sugar, and also adds the brown sugar before chilling the mixture. Maybe that gives it a bit of extra crunch?
Despite the oversalting this was pretty good - if a bit on the heavy side. With all the spices it might make a better Christmas ice cream though,
I was going to serve it with some reserved whole caramel pecans and a hot ginger syrup but didn't get around to it.
The original version uses rather more sugar, and also adds the brown sugar before chilling the mixture. Maybe that gives it a bit of extra crunch?
Mango Sorbet
dessert raw veg vegan
I couldn't resist adding a shot of Limoncello to the mixture too. There might be better (mango?) liqueurs!
It's hard to see what you could do to improve the flavour but I was mostly underwhelmed to be honest. The problem might have been the quality of my mangos - I'd love to go to a real greengrocers for them, but they're all shut when I'm not working so it's the local Fucking Supermarket™ and their mangos made of polystyrene for me :(
You could add less sugar too then, which might give it a bit more twang. Perhaps 200g or even less, and you might choose to use powdered rather than icing sugar, which will introduce a hint of anti-caking agent.
It's hard to see what you could do to improve the flavour but I was mostly underwhelmed to be honest. The problem might have been the quality of my mangos - I'd love to go to a real greengrocers for them, but they're all shut when I'm not working so it's the local Fucking Supermarket™ and their mangos made of polystyrene for me :(
You could add less sugar too then, which might give it a bit more twang. Perhaps 200g or even less, and you might choose to use powdered rather than icing sugar, which will introduce a hint of anti-caking agent.
Makes about a litre
Ingredients
- 3 fresh mangos, peeled, stones removed
- 250g/8¾oz icing sugar, sifted
- 2 lemons, juice only
Roughly chop the mango flesh and place into a food processor with the icing sugar and lemon juice.
Limes make a pleasant alternative. Blend to a purée.
Chill the mixture well, then transfer into an ice cream machine and churn to freeze, according to manufacturer's instructions.
Once frozen, remove and place into a container. Cover and store in the freezer until ready to serve. It will keep for a couple of months.
Chill the mixture well, then transfer into an ice cream machine and churn to freeze, according to manufacturer's instructions.
Once frozen, remove and place into a container. Cover and store in the freezer until ready to serve. It will keep for a couple of months.
Yeah, it's OK. Not magnificent though.