Mmmm….ice cream. Ice cream is definitely not a dessert most people will try to make from scratch. Kyle is not a member of the “not from scratch” crowd. This ice cream recipe Kyle has created is a bit of a Franken-recipe, cobbled together throughout the years. The evolution of the recipe began with Smitten Kitchen’s Buttermilk Ice Cream which swaps a large portion of the cream with acidic buttermilk. This helps create a tangy and luscious dessert for all the ice cream lovers out there.
While in culinary school, Kyle experimented with making his own Crème Fraiche (a more decadent version of sour cream). It may sound all very fancy and French – however, it is quite simple to prepare. All you have to do is mix a tablespoon or two of buttermilk into a cup of cream, then you leave it out on the counter overnight. The cultures in the buttermilk work their magic throughout the night, then, in the morning, your bowl of dairy will be transformed into a thick, sour batch of Crème Fraiche.
While in school, Kyle and his friends swapped the buttermilk for Crème Fraiche into a batch of ice cream. The results were sublime! It made a creamier product, the intense sour flavor notes creating a treat that tastes a bit like cheesecake ice cream. Yes, cheesecake ice cream.
The overnight culture of the homemade Crème Fraiche does require a bit of forward planning. If you have a strong desire for ice cream NOW, then you could just purchase the Crème Fraiche at the store. It appears to be a product that is becoming readily available in many grocery stores. However, it can be on the expensive side – almost five times what it would cost to prepare it at home. If you can curtail your ice cream craving for the moment, I say make the homemade version.
It has taken quite some time to FINALLY get to sharing the joys of Crème Fraiche Ice Cream. Some time ago Kyle was in Philly eating the best gelato in the world – Fior di Latte (milk gelato) at Capogiro Gelato. Seriously, it was actually named the best gelato in the world by National Geographic, beating out all the gelato in Italy, quite a feather in their cap!
Among their flavors is the Sea Salt Gelato, which takes the delicious simplicity of the Milk Gelato and intensifies the flavor with a pop of sea salt. This flavor boost really stood out to Kyle ,so he decided to borrow this notion and add a more generous helping of salt to his Crème Fraiche Ice Cream.
The results were even more mind-blowing than the previous batches – once again improving upon a treat that was already deemed “perfect” to Kyle. So the mantra is correct – “Never Stop Improving!” The addition of the salt reminded him of another favorite ice cream flavor – Salted Caramel. However, without the caramel flavor, the salt really accentuates the rich, creamy flavors of the dairy for a more pure, clarified taste – a celebration of dairy, if you will. This simple deliciousness is the main reason National Geographic loved Capogiro’s Milk Gelato so much.
The ice cream is so delicious on its own, chuck full of salty, tangy flavors, but it does make a great companion to many desserts. Kyle made the first batch in August, serving it with these Riesling Poached Peaches for a great summertime treat. As we head into Autumn, it will pair nicely with poached pears, pumpkin pie, or even our Apple Crumb Bars. Sweet dreams – of ice cream!
- For the Crème Fraîche:
- 2 cups room temperature heavy cream
- ¼ cup room temperature buttermilk
- OR use 2 cups store-bought full-fat Crème Fraîche
- For the Ice Cream Base:
- 2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
- ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
- 1 tablespoon flaky salt
- 1¼ cup sugar
- 8 large egg yolks
- 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- To make the Crème Fraîche, stir the heavy cream and buttermilk together in a glass jar and cover, at room temperature, for 24 hours, or until thick. Stir and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the whole milk (or half-and-half) one cup of sugar, vanilla bean, and salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and remaining ¼ cup of sugar.
- Remove the cream mixture from the heat and slowly drizzle a small amount into the yolks -whisking constantly to keep the eggs from curdling. Repeat a few more times to warm up the yolks, then pour the yolk mixture back into the cream, whisking constantly.
- Add cream cheese to the mixture and whisk to combine. Cook over low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Strain the mixture and cool completely. Whisk in the Crème Fraîche and freeze according manufacturer’s directions on your ice cream maker.
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