No, not about the US election (okay, maybe that too). But rather ice cream, of course! We've had friends from Auckland come to visit Struan Farm this weekend so we could all go on the Forgotten World Adventures rail trail trip. More on that in the next day or so.
Friend Bruce is a major fan of ice cream. So when I suggested that I make homemade ice cream for dessert, John gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up. In fact, he directed me to make a "trio" of different ice creams. He and Bruce flatted together in Wellington while they were members of the NZ Parliament many years ago. They frequented a local Italian restaurant that served up three gelatos in the colours of the Italian flag. Memories do funny things to people, don't they?
I graciously declined the request for red, white and green ice cream, but did agree to the "trio" concept. So I've spent most of the past week perfecting and making ice creams from this wonderful book, The Perfect Scoop. Toasted Coconut, Honey Lavender (had a stash of Kenmore Farm culinary lavender I was keen to experiment with), and last but not least, Strawberry Sour Cream, made with (what else but) Piopio Berry Orchard strawberries! Note to visitors: no wonder there are weeds in my gardens?
I dusted off the ice cream maker and cracked into it. The first two recipes really require more than 24 hours each, since once made the custard is meant to chill overnight before churning and freezing. Both also require infusing warm milk, cream, and the sweetener (sugar or honey) with either toasted coconut or culinary lavender. Once the egg yolks were mixed in, what took the most practice on my part was the very fine line between cooking the custard enough vs. too much. At one point I turned out sweet scrambled eggs, another a very fluid custard that really didn't look the consistency of ice cream when churned. (After a stint in the freezer it was absolutely delicious when sampled, but by that time I'd made a second batch!)
The Strawberry Sour Cream ice cream was meant to be served soon after churning, so I decided to churn that while preparing dinner. It ended up being way too soupy, but great flavour, so I would make and freeze this a bit in advance next time.
They were all amazing, if I do say so myself. John has decided I should devote more time to making ice cream, while I don't think that either our waist lines or cholesterol levels would enjoy that. Special occasions only!
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