Basil Ice Cream Food

BASIL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring milk, basil, 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring, then remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender (reserve saucepan) and blend until basil is finely ground, about 1 minute.
• Beat together yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 1 minute. Add milk mixture in a stream, beating until combined well. Pour mixture into reserved saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture coats back of spoon and registers 175°F on thermometer (do not let boil). Immediately remove from heat and pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and stir until cold, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir in cream and freeze in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours.

CINNAMON BASIL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring the milk to a simmer in a medium-sized saucepan.
• Stir in the basil and cinnamon stick, cover, and remove from heat.
• Steep 15 minutes, then pour the milk through a sieve, pressing down on the solids to extract all the liquid.
• Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
• Whisk the cinnamon-basil flavored milk.
• Pour it back into the saucepan and stir constantly with a rubber spatula over medium heat just until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (180 degrees) but no further or it may curdle.
• Pour the custard back into the mixing bowl and cool, either over ice or in the refrigerator, until the custard is very cold.
• Whisk in the heavy cream.
• Freeze in an ice cream maker.
• Store in a covered container in the freezer until firm enough to scoop.

MINT OR BASIL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse together mint or basil leaves and sugar until pulverized and bright green.
• In a small pot, simmer heavy cream, milk, herb sugar and salt until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream.
• Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from heat and allow custard to steep for 30 minutes.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer until needed.

LEMON AND BASIL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat the milk just to the boiling point, then add the basil leaves and lemon rind. Take off the heat and leave to infuse for 1 hour.
• Beat the sugar and yolks together until pale and fluffy. Strain the milk, pressing the basil and lemon rind to extract any last bits of flavour. Stir this into the egg and sugar mixture.
• Put your bowl on top of a sauce pan of simmering water. Stir the liquid in the bowl constantly until it thickens slightly. If you scrape the back of a spoon through the mixture and it leaves a path, your custard is ready. Immediately pour it into another bowl and leave to cool.
• When cool, add the lemon juice to the custard. In a separate bowl, beat the cream lightly. When the cream has thickened, add to the custard mixture.
• Freeze in an ice cream maker, stopping three times during the freezing process to beat the mixture with an electric beater.

BASIL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Blanch the basil leaves in boiling salted water for 5 seconds, then place in an ice bath. Drain and wring the basil dry in a dish towel. Chop coarsely.
• In a food processor, puree the basil with salt, vitamin C and just enough softened ice cream to make a puree (about 3 tablespoons). You should have about 1 cup basil puree. Add the remaining ice cream and puree. Quickly take the finished pureed ice cream and transfer it from the processor back to the freezer container. Add chocolate and mix in thoroughly. Place container in freezer. Freeze for at least 1 hour.

BASIL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Place the half-and-half, basil, sugar, salt and egg yolks in a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
• Transfer the mixture to a double boiler, and heat, stirring constantly, until the eggs just begin to thicken and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Set the bowl in an ice water bath to rapidly chill.
• Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Freeze until ready to use.

BASIL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the basil and sugar. Pulse until very finely ground. The sugar should be bright green and look almost like pesto.
• Combine the cream, milk, and basil-sugar in a large pot over medium heat. Scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean and add them to the cream mixture; put the pod in there too for extra flavor. Simmer gently, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Ideally, the temperature should reach 175°F (just scalding); this should take 5 to 8 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until slightly thick and yellow. Gradually whisk half of the hot cream into the yolk mixture (do not add it too quickly or the eggs will scramble). Return the entire mixture to the pot and whisk constantly over medium-low heat until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and leaves a path when you run your finger across it, about 5 minutes; do not allow to boil.
• Pass the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large container. Chill the ice cream base completely in a large bowl full of ice water, stirring here and there. Mix in the salt once completely cold.
• Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. When done, the ice cream will be the consistency of soft serve. To harden the ice cream fully, freeze in a covered plastic container.