Thursday, June 13, 2013

Saffron, Honey and Ricotta Ice Cream Recipe


I've been going through an ice cream making phase, much to the delight of my husband and friends. When I was 17 I made honey and saffron ice cream by hand and the sweet saffron fragrance, pale orange hue and rich, honey flavour stayed with me which is why I decided to try it out again, this time using an ice cream machine and ricotta which adds an interesting texture to the mix. Happy eating!

Saffron, honey and ricotta ice cream (serves 6 to 8 medium-sized portions) 


What you need:

  • An ice cream machine
  • A double boiler (this will boil the milk slowly and evenly so it doesn't burn. It will also help prevent cooking the eggs in the custard.) If you don't have a proper double boiler you can use one pot over another (the bottom one with two to three inches of water). The most important thing is that the water/steam doesn't get into the milk mixture in the saucepan on top.
  • A jug or bowl with spout cooled in the freezer
  • A teaspoon of saffron strands
  • Two tablespoons of honey
  • 100g of castor sugar 
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 500g ricotta (broken apart with a fork so it's not too chunky)
  • 500ml full fat milk
  • 250ml double cream
  • A quarter of a cup of pine nuts
What to do...
  1. Put the saffron in the milk and heat until just before boiling point.
  2. In the meantime beat the egg yolks and sugar until the colour changes from golden to pale yellow.
  3. Add half the milk to the egg and sugar and stir well until everything is properly mixed.
  4. Pour the mix into the milk in the saucepan and stir continually with a wooden spoon until it thickens. When the custard coats the back of the wooden spoon it's ready.
  5. Remove from the heat and whisk in the double cream, then ricotta, then honey.
  6. Pour the mix into the chilled jug or bowl and let it cool for a few minutes.
  7. Pour the mix into the ice cream maker and churn as per the manufacturer's instructions or until the mix is frozen and has the texture of ice cream.
  8. While the ice cream is churning put the pine nuts into a saucepan and lightly toast them.
  9. Once the ice cream is finished, serve with a sprinkle of pine nuts and a drizzle of honey.




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