Five Herb Ice Milk Recipe Epicuriouscom 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.

FIVE-SPICE CONES

Steps:

• Whisk together all ingredients except additional butter in a bowl until smooth. Chill batter, covered, 1 hour.
• Heat pizzelle maker and lightly brush top and bottom of pizzelle molds with butter. Pour 1 tablespoon batter into bottom of each pizzelle mold. Close cover and cook batter until golden, about 2 minutes.
• Working quickly (pizzelle are pliable only while hot), peel off 1 pizzelle and wrap around cone mold, overlapping ends, and pinching tip closed. Hold cone in place until it hardens, about 5 seconds, then slip off mold and repeat with remaining pizzelle. Make more pizzelle and cones in same manner.

FIVE-HERB ICE MILK

Steps:

• Whisk together milk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan. Add herb sprigs and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Gently boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute.
• Lightly beat yolks in a large bowl. Pour hot milk mixture through a sieve into a large glass measure, pressing gently on sprigs before discarding, then gradually add to yolks, whisking until combined.
• Cook mixture in saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 170 to 175°F on thermometer, 3 to 5 minutes (do not let boil).
• Pour custard through cleaned sieve into a clean bowl and cool completely, its surface covered with wax paper. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours.
• Freeze custard in ice cream maker. Transfer ice milk to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

LITCHI FIVE-SPICE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a heatproof bowl whisk together sugar, cornstarch, eggs, five-spice powder, and a pinch salt until combined well. In a heavy saucepan heat milk just to a boil and add in a slow stream to egg mixture, whisking. Transfer custard to pan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Boil custard gently, whisking, 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and cool custard, stirring occasionally. Chill custard, covered. until cold, about 3 hours.
• In a blender purée litchis with 1/2 cup cream and stir into custard with remaining cup cream. Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker. Ice cream may be made 1 week ahead.

SIMPLE VANILLA ICE MILK

Steps:

• Combine milk, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Stir till sugar is dissolved.
• If using Ice Cream Machine: Add milk mixture to an ice cream machine and process 20 minutes or until mixture thickens. Pour into tupperware and freeze 8 hours or overnight. Consistency may improve by stirring every 4 hours or so until fully frozen.
• If not using Ice Cream Machine: Pour into shallow freezer-proof dish and put in freezer. Stir every 2-4 hours once crystals form. Follow above directions for freezing.

TRUE VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of kosher salt in a medium saucepan. Split 1/2 vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape in seeds; add pod (or use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract). Bring mixture just to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. If using vanilla bean, cover; let sit 30 minutes. Whisk 5 large egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl until pale, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup warm cream mixture. Whisk yolk mixture into remaining cream mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat a wooden spoon, 2-3 minutes. Strain custard into a medium bowl set over a bowl of ice water; let cool, stirring occasionally. Process custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container; cover. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 1 week.

PANNA COTTA

Steps:

• In a very small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand about 1 minute to soften. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin is dissolved and remove pan from heat.
• In a large saucepan bring cream, half and half, and sugar just to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring. Remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture and vanilla. Divide cream mixture among eight 1/2-cup ramekins and cool to room temperature. Chill ramekins, covered, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Dip ramekins, 1 at a time, into a bowl of hot water 3 seconds. Run a thin knife around edge of each ramekin and invert ramekin onto center of a small plate.