Food for Thought

Recipes to help you put the chill into those warm, summer days
Grab the kids and make some ice cream in a bag
Jeni’s Ice Creams ships its unusual concoctions around the country

Frozen Assets

When it comes to ice cream, think outside the cone.

Fresh peach ice cream. Staff Photo

With the steamy days of summer almost upon us, it’s high time to indulge in the season’s most popular respite-from-the-heat treat – ice cream.

This frosty dessert has enjoyed an image boost in recent years, as artisan ice-cream makers across the country have infused the longtime children’s favorite with a decidedly grown-up flair.

Thai chili ice cream, anyone? Sweet corn and blackberry? Basil with honey and pine nuts?

Depending on the season, you’ll find these fresh and surprising flavors at Jeni’s Ice Creams in Columbus, Ohio.

Founder Jeni Britton combines her pastry chef training, an innovative palate and a strong belief in fresh, local ingredients to create fine ice creams with exotic themes and tastes. She uses only the freshest components, taking inspiration from seasonal crops, herbs and spices from local markets.

Every marshmallow, praline or sugar-soaked fruit is made by her team – a practice that has paid off with a Food Network spotlight, a plug on American Public Media’s The Splendid Table, a Food & Wine magazine award and ever-growing crowds of ice-cream cravers.

“The bottom line is that it’s all about flavor,” she says. “Everything tastes better when you shop locally.”

Why not try your own hand at homemade ice cream using fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs or other locally grown ingredients?

Using an electric ice-cream maker (starting at around $35 at most department stores), combine your favorite flavors –
or test out some unusual combinations – to create a signature recipe.

Here are a few ideas to get you going. From there, think outside the cone.

Jeni Britton of Jeni’s Ice Creams
Staff Photo

Cherry and Chocolate Ice Cream

1/4 cup chocolate shavings
1/4 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream

Place the chocolate shavings and the cherries in separate bowls. Cover and refrigerate. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended.

Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend. Transfer the mixture to an ice-cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Just before the ice cream is done, add the chocolate and the cherries, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

3 cups peach pulp and juice
Juice from 1 large orange
Juice from 3 lemons
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 quart milk
1 pint cream

Mix together peach pulp, all juices, sugar and vanilla. Let stand at room temperature for three hours. Mix with milk and cream, and pour into an ice-cream maker. Freeze following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Blueberry Ice Cream

2 pints blueberries
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons orange juice
4 cups light cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a 3-quart saucepan combine blueberries, sugar and orange juice. Mash berries slightly and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and puree in a food processor or blender. Push mixture through a strainer with the back of a wooden spoon. Cool the mixture.

In the chilled canister of ice-cream maker combine blueberry mixture, cream and vanilla. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

Ice Cream in a Bag

You don’t have to have fancy ingredients or wait for hours to dig into a frosty bowl of the homemade sweet stuff. You can make ice cream in five minutes with just a few ingredients and some muscle power. It’s easy and fun – and kids love it.

1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup half-and-half or whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ice
1/2 cup rock salt
1 pint-size Ziploc bag
1 gallon-size Ziploc bag

Combine the sugar, cream and vanilla in the pint-size Ziploc bag and seal tightly. Combine the ice and rock salt in the large Ziploc bag. Place the small bag inside of the larger bag and seal. Shake the bag until the mixture turns into ice cream. This will take about 5 minutes. (Wrap it with a towel if it gets too cold to handle). Open both bags and spoon the ice cream into cups. Add sprinkles, candy, nuts or fruit and enjoy.

Flavor variations: Substitute other extract flavors for the vanilla, such as almond or lemon. Or omit the vanilla extract and half of the sugar, and add strawberry or chocolate syrup to the milk mixture.

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