Sunday, June 29, 2008

I scream, you scream....settle down already!

So summer has finally hit Seattle. Phew. I was beginning to think I needed to escape the Northwest just to keep from getting frostbite! Now that I've thawed a bit, I get to start thinking about ice cream. Lots and lots of ice cream. I've dug out the ice cream maker and set to some serious work. I've already made a few batches, one vanilla with a dulce de leche swirl and one candied bacon. Yeah, I said candied bacon and yes I am more or less a vegetarian. I didn't eat that one, but eveyone who did went gaga for it. Essentially I am beginning to believe that David Lebovitz wants me and my family to become very very fat. And ya know what? I'm pretty much ok with it.

After making two very successful batches of his ice cream, I decided to branch out. I had just picked up some perfectly ripe raspberries and wanted something kind of tangy and less heavy to pair with them. Buttermilk sprung to mind. Perfect. Even more perfect, I have some local honey from the Farmer's Market to sweeten it with. The end result was a slightly sweet ice cream with a bit of a bite to it. Topped with my juicy raspberries it was a little bowl of summer goodness.

Does that make you hungry? Yeah, well here's the recipe.

Buttermilk and local honey ice cream:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups cultured buttermilk
1/2 cup whole milk
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup honey


In a sauce pan heat the honey and heavy cream until the honey is fully melted and the mixture is slightly warmed. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks until smooth and slightly thickened. Add 1/2 cup of the warmed cream and honey mixture to the egg yolks and mix thoroughly. Add this mixture back to the cream and honey mixture over medium/low heat. Continue to whisk until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Let the custard cool until it is lukewarm.
In a larger bowl, mix the whole milk and buttermilk. Add the cooled custard to the milk mixture. Let chill overnight then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Top with berries or drizzle with more honey, or oh, figs, figs would be really nice....Yeah, I think I need to make this one again.