C
Again.
But wait. There’s a reason vanilla always ranks so high year after year, and it’s not because we are nation of bland taste buds. IDFA’s surveys are based on numbers that include what is sold in scoop shops, in food stores and in restaurants. When you think about which ice cream is most often placed on a la mode desserts and gets blended into shakes, the rankings make sense.
The flavors that tend to grab our attention are the stuff of mad scientists, albeit ones with good taste. To wit: your Black Sesame and your Everything But the Kitchen Sink, two of the flavors identified in this year’s survey as “most daring or creative.”
In eschewing the same-old, we looked for intrigue when we dove into this summer’s ice cream cookbooks. We mulled the merits of savory ingredients and appreciated how sweet treats can translate into creamy smoothness. As always, we like to keep up with the newest ways to bypass the churning and do without the dairy.
Here are some new ones to try.
Rhubarb-Elderflower Sorbet
4 servings (makes 1 pint), Healthy
This nondairy frozen dessert is beautiful, bright-tasting and subtly floral.
You’ll need an ice cream maker.
Make ahead: The sorbet mixture needs to firm up in the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.
Adapted from The Lost Kitchen: Recipes and a Good Life Found in Freedom, Maine, by Erin French (Clarkson Potter, 2017).
Ingredients
2 cups chopped rhubarb (from about 6 medium stalks)
¼ cup sugar
Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon elderflower liqueur
¾ cup simple syrup (see note)
Steps
Combine the rhubarb, sugar and lemon zest and juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until tender and soft, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
Stir in the liqueur and simple syrup, then strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large liquid measuring cup. Discard the solids. Pour the strained mixture into an ice cream maker container and churn for about 50 minutes, until visibly thicker and smooth.
Transfer to a freezer-safe container, cover and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until firm.
Note: To make the simple syrup, combine ¾ cup sugar and ¾ cup water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to boil just long enough for the sugar to dissolve, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool. Pour into a jar with a lid and refrigerate for up to a week.
Fresh Cheese Ice Cream With Blackberries
16 servings (makes about 1¼ quarts)
This ice cream is refreshingly tangy and tart; we think it’s a winner for summer.
You can use requeson (see below) or queso fresco, but the latter will yield a slightly saltier ice cream. You’ll need an ice cream maker.
Note: This ice cream freezes quite firm, so you may want to let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or so before scooping.
Requeson is a fresh, ricotta-style Mexican cheese, available in Latin markets.
Make ahead: The base mixture needs to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight. The churned ice cream needs to be frozen for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Adapted from Mexican Ice Cream: Beloved Recipes and Stories, by Fany Gerson (Ten Speed Press, 2017).
Ingredients
2 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons water
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 ounces requeson or queso fresco (see headnote; may substitute part-skim ricotta)
1½ cups half-and-half
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
Steps
Combine the blackberries, confectioners’ sugar and water in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the berries are bubbling and the mixture has thickened a bit, then transfer to a heatproof bowl. Gently mash the berries with the back of a spoon, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Combine the cream cheese, 3 ounces of the requeson or queso fresco, the half-and-half, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, salt and corn syrup in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl; add the cream and the remaining 3 ounces of requeson or queso fresco, whisking gently to incorporate. The mixture should be slightly chunky. Cover and refrigerate until the base is cold, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Whisk the base to recombine, then transfer to the container of an ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and mix in the chilled blackberry mixture.
For a soft consistency, serve right away; for a firm consistency, cover and freeze for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
No-Churn Peanut Butter Curry Ice Cream
8 to 10 servings (makes 1 ½ quarts)
This unexpected, sweet-with-heat combination of flavors is one of the richest-tasting no-churn ice creams we’ve tried.
In testing, we cut back on the original amount of curry powder, which was 1 tablespoon.
Peanut powder/peanut butter powder is available at Target and Walmart stores as well as natural foods markets. If you can’t find it, simply grind roasted, unsalted peanuts to a fine powder in the food processor.
Adapted from Food52 Ice Cream and Friends: 60 Recipes and Riffs for Sorbets, Sandwiches, No-Churn Ice Creams, and More, by the editors of Food52 (Ten Speed Press, 2017).
Ingredients
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup powdered peanut butter
¼ cup dehydrated milk/powdered milk
2 teaspoons curry powder (see headnote)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream, well chilled
Steps
Pour the condensed milk into a large bowl. Stir in the powdered peanut butter, milk powder, curry powder (to taste; see headnote) and vanilla extract until well incorporated.
Beat the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a balloon-whisk attachment or use a handheld mixer. Beat on medium-high speed for 5 to 7 minutes, to form stiff peaks.
Mix a few spoonfuls of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture, then fold in the remaining whipped cream until fully incorporated. Do not over-mix.
Spoon the mixture into a container and freeze for at least 5 hours before serving.