Cardamom Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups (scant) milk or light cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 8 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions

• Put the milk, or light cream, vanilla bean and crushed cardamom pods into a heavy pan and bring slowly to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let infuse for 20 minutes. Take out the vanilla bean and scape the seeds into the liquid. Remove the crushed green cardamom pods.
• Beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Gently reheat the milk or cream and beat a little of it into the egg yolks. Pour the egg mixture into the cream and return the pan to a low heat. Stir until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; it will take several minutes. Do not let it boil, or you'll get pieces of scrambled egg.
• Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir until it has almost cooled. Whip the whipping cream lightly and fold it into the custard. Add the 1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamom. Freeze in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions.

Helpful Hints

• Be careful not to add too much cardamom to the recipe. Cardamom is a very strong flavor, and too much of it can cause a soapy taste.

Avocado Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 12 ounces avocado flesh, about 3 medium specimens-worth
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

• Halve the avocados, remove pits and use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh.
• Place avocado, lemon juice, milk and sugar in blender carafe and puree until smooth.*
• Reduce blender speed to low and slowly add the cream.
• Chill the mixture in an air-tight container until it reaches 40 degrees F or below, 4 to 6 hours.
• Process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. This mixture sets up very fast, so count on it only 5 to 10 minutes to process to soft-serve consistency.
• Serve immediately or harden in freezer for 3 to 4 hours for a firmer texture.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 tbs cornstarch
• 1/2 cup agave nectar (or honey)
• 2 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced

Directions

• In a small saucepan, heat cream, milk, cornstarch and agave on medium-low heat until bubbly and thickened slightly, whisking constantly, about 5 minutes. Once the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, place the pot with hot mixture into a large bowl filled with ice water and whisk it constantly until cool to the touch.
• Place strawberries in a blender and puree for about two minutes until completely smooth. Push mixture through a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to remove seeds and discard them. If you don't mind the seeds, you can omit this step.
• Once the cream mixture is cooled down, whisk in strawberry puree until fully incorporated. Cover mixture with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to chill for two hours. Pour mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions, about 20-30 minutes or so. Pour into an airtight container and freeze 4-6 hours or overnight. Allow ice cream to set out for a few minutes before scooping.

Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c. half and half
• 2 c. heavy cream, divided
• ½ c. + 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. light corn syrup
• ¾ tsp. kosher sea salt
• 1 whole egg
• 5 egg yolks
• 1½ tbsp. Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste OR + 2 vanilla beans, scraped + 1 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

• In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the half and half, 1 c. of heavy cream, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Heat until warm (if using vanilla beans, you'll want to add the scraped seeds, whisk in, cover and steep/sit for 30 minutes, re-warm the mixture and continue as follows).
• In a small mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, slowly pour the warm mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Go really slow so you don't scramble them! Gradually pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Constantly whisk over medium heat until the mixture thickens and reaches a temperature of 165 degrees. Pour the mixture through a mesh sieve set over a medium size mixing bowl. Stir in the remaining heavy cream and the vanilla bean paste. I generally set my bowl over an ice bath to cool the base down as quickly as possible. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
• Remove the ice cream base from the refrigerator and pour into a prepared ice cream machine or attachment bowl. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions (about 25 minutes). When the ice cream is firm, place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for 2-4 hours before serving.