Red Bean Ice Cream Food

EASY RED BEAN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Beat egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl until pale yellow in color.
• Bring milk to a boil in a saucepan and remove from heat. Slowly stream milk into the egg mixture while beating with a whisk to integrate completely.
• Pour milk mixture into the saucepan and place over low heat; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened but not yet boiling, about 10 minutes.
• Stir red bean paste into the thickened milk mixture; pour into a large bowl and let cool for several minutes. Stir cream into the slightly cooled mixture until smooth.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ice cream base is chilled completely, 1 to 3 hours.
• Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer direction.

RED BEAN ICE CREAM (AZUKI ICE CREAM)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat sugar and egg yolks till pale and yellow. Set aside.
• Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan and then turn off heat.
• Slowly whisk hot milk into the yolk/sugar mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan.
• Turn on to a very low heat and stir constantly, till it thickens. Do not let it boil!
• Take the mix off the heat and whisk in the red bean paste. Strain the entire mixture into a large bowl.
• Let it cool for about 2 minutes and then stir in the cream. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Process according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

RED BEAN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• 1. Set aside 1/4 cup of the milk in a small bowl. Combine the rest of the milk with the heavy cream and 1/3 cup of the sugar in a heavy, medium-large pot over medium heat. Let the milk mixture get very hot but not quite scalded.
• 2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, and the egg yolks in a heat-proof bowl, and whisk until the yolks thicken slightly and get lighter in color.
• 3. Add the cornstarch to the milk you set aside in the small bowl, smushing it in with your fingertips to make an absolutely smooth paste.
• 4. When the milk and cream mixture is almost boiling, whisk in the cornstarch slurry, which should thicken the milk almost immediately. Turn the heat down to medium-low.
• 5. With a ladle in one hand and a whisk in the other, and a wooden spoon next to the stove, ladle some of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking for all you're worth as you do so. After two ladlefuls have been whisked into the yolk mixture, pour the now-tempered yolk mixture into the pot of hot milk, and whisk the whole thing hard.
• 6. Now stand there and stir constantly, watching carefully, until the eggs further thicken the milk, though only slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Because we're doing this over direct heat rather than in a more time-consuming double-boiler, stir mindfully, alternating between the whisk to incorporate everything and the wooden spoon to get into the corners, where the eggs would otherwise tend to cook first.
• 7. The minute the custard has thickened, transfer it from the pot to a clean heat-proof bowl and whisk in the anko and the vanilla, if using. Let cool to room temperature (if you want to speed this up, set the bowl in a sink partially filled with ice water), then cover it and refrigerate it overnight.
• 8. The next day, transfer the custard into your ice cream maker and let 'er rip according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is done, remove the dasher, fight over who gets to lick it, be nice and share, and transfer the finished ice cream to a storage container. Place the container in the freezer and store until you're just about ready to serve (like all ice creams, this is most full-flavored when softened slightly).

AZUKI ICE CREAM (JAPANESE RED BEANS ICE CREAM)

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the azuki beans, 1/3 cup of sugar, lemon juice and water. Bring to a boil, and boil uncovered for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are very tender. When done, the beans and liquid should amount to 3 cups. If not, add more water to compensate.
• Strain the bean mixture through a sieve - I use a wooden paddle for this, and discard the bean skins. Refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until cold.
• In a saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. While you wait for that to boil, whisk together the egg yolks and 2/3 cup of sugar in a medium bowl. When the cream and milk come to a boil, ladle about 1/4 cup of the hot liquid into the bowl with the egg yolks, and whisk until smooth. Pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the cream, and cook over low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. This should take about 5 minutes. Do not cook too long, or you will get lumps. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla. Refrigerate until cold.
• Once both of the mixtures are cold, stir them together. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.