Herb Ice cream

Yes, you read that right. Herb ice cream. Basil has been the most popular at my house and a few people like rosemary as well. Below you’ll find my basic ice cream recipe with the adaptions for the herbs.

1 bunch herbs of your choice– I’ve used (as of this blog writing) basil, rosemary, mint

1 1/2 cups milk of your choice

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Combine cream and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until mixture almost boils, about 5-8 minutes. Reduce heat too low.

Meanwhile, beat egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl until light yellow and smooth. Add 4 tablespoons of the hot cream/milk mixture and stir until combined. Gradually add egg yolk mixture to warm cream mixture, stirring continuously to prevent eggs from curdling.

Cook over low heat until slightly thickened and mixture coats the back of a spoon, 3-4 minutes.

Pour the ice cream into a container to cool it overnight in the refrigerator. I use the Tupperware freezer containers as they work great for freezer. Before closing the container, add the chosen herb, giving it a stir or two, and let it steep overnight. Before placing in the ice cream bowl in the morning, strain the herb out (which also will strain out any curdled egg).

Pour the mixture into the ice cream bowl and turn it on, letting it mix until it thickens about 20-25 minutes. I then place the ice cream in the freezer for at least several hours until it hardens.

Add a garnish of fresh herb for fun color, too!

Strawberry Ice Cream

I’ve been using the same basic ice cream recipe for twenty (gasp!) years since I received my still-working Cuisinart ice cream maker when I married the first time. This is the recipe from the booklet and it does involve raw eggs that are cooked in the process. While this recipe is for strawberry ice cream, you can try any berry or fruit, just remember that it’s important to chop the berries in the food processor. I chop them until some liquid forms because that allows the flavor to soak into the ice cream itself and lends a natural color to it.

I also use 2% lactose free milk because that’s what I drink and sometimes use half and half instead of heavy cream. The taste is still great if one uses less dairy fat, but the creamy texture might not be, well so creamy.

And don’t throw out those egg whites! At the very least, fry them up and feed them to your dog for a treat. Lilly and Ash concur.

1 1/2 cups strawberries, washed and hulled

1 1/2 cups milk of your choice

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Chop the strawberries in a food processor and set aside.

Combine cream and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until mixture almost boils, about 5-8 minutes. Reduce heat too low.

Meanwhile, beat egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl until light yellow and smooth. Add 4 tablespoons of the hot cream/milk mixture and stir until combined. Gradually add egg yolk mixture to warm cream mixture, stirring continuously to prevent eggs from curdling.

Cook over low heat until slightly thickened and mixture coats the back of a spoon, 3-4 minutes. Cool completely– at this point I put the mixture in the refrigerator overnight, however, you can let it cool for 30 minutes in an ice bath if you want to make ice cream that day.

Pour the mixture into the ice cream bowl and turn it on, letting it mix until it thickens about 20-25 minutes. I then place the ice cream in the freezer for at least several hours until it hardens.

Prickly Pear Ice Cream

Last week I wrote about how to make the prickly pear syrup, however, this week's recipe uses the puree, meaning there is one less step to complete. However, get that syrup ready for the margaritas! We'll make those next week. In the meantime, between the color and taste, this is one of the most unique desserts you'll ever taste. The key is that you always need to combine it with another fruit to complete the flavor. I made enough to serve our fifty guests at our rehearsal dinner party last month, giving them a taste of quintessential desert New Mexico.

The photo above shows the depth of the color of the prickly pear ice cream (it's on the bottom with triple berry on top). And check out the photo at the bottom as I began to stir the prickly pear puree with the half and half and milk.

1 cup prickly pear puree

1/8 cup lemon juice

2 cups sugar

Lemon zest from 1 lemon

2 cups milk

2 cups half and half (or heavy cream for a richer flavor)

In a food processor, combine the sugar and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice and prickly pear. Combine the sugar mixture, the prickly pear mixture, the milk, and the half and half. Run in an ice cream maker for 20 minutes and freeze overnight before serving.