Yeah! I have a new (to me) ice cream maker, and I love it. So little work for such a delicious result. My very first ice cream experiment involved a custard and some cardamom pods. I was hoping for the best, and the results far exceeded my expectations. The flavor was intense and "exotic" but also familiar: much like a slightly more floral cousin of vanilla. This was all balanced by a rich and eggy custard base.
I have a confession: I am not a chocolate dessert person, (I know many find this blasphemous.) Don't get me wrong chocolate is great, but I actually like vanilla better. Keeping in mind my chocolate disclosure - I have to say, I think this just might be my new favorite ice cream.
I served my cardamon ice cream with sweet ripe cubes of mango. I can't take full credit for the combo as they are two classic Indian ingredients, but the combination was perfect. Both the ice cream and the mango have rich and floral notes, the mango added a nice piny musky complexity that was tamed by the creaminess of whole milk and heavy cream.
If you don't have an ice cream maker, I highly recommend getting one. They are very inexpensive these days, and I imagine it would pay for itself in no time. Not only can you save money, you also have complete control over what goes into your ice cream. I made mine with milk, cream, and eggs from the farmers market, and I could taste it. So fresh and rich and eggy, no store bought ice cream could possibly compete.
the recipe:
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
6-7 green cardamon pods, slightly crushed
Whisk together sugar and eggs until frothy and lemony yellow. In saucepan, heat milk and cardamom until it simmers. Add milk and cardamom slowly to egg mixture, whisking constantly. (This process is called Tempering) Return to pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of a spoon: 6-8 minutes. Pour custard through a strainer and cool. Add cream and refrigerate until cold. Process in ice cream maker according to your machines directions.
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