Life in New Orleans has been pretty laid back the last couple of weeks. I think it is primarily due to the heat. The pace of life in New Orleans is already as slow as molasses, but add heat and humidity on top of it and the pace slows to a near halt. I have started to become accustomed to this pace and in some ways enjoy it. I come from a family of “do-ers,” as my mom would say, who feel that we should always be doing something. New Orleans has forced me to get over this notion, which is probably a good thing. I still tend to keep myself busy with small projects, but I’m getting better at taking breaks. Aside from a recent beer-tasting party my husband and I threw (so fun!), we’ve been taking it easy.
So my scoop this week – Cinnamon Honey Vanilla – is a spin on a classic scoop, perfect for the slow summer days. I was inspired to make this scoop during my last trip to Bloom’s Broom Dairy in Maryland. Adding cinnamon and honey makes a scoop of plain old vanilla much more exciting. My experimentation resulted in a scoop that tastes much like a graham cracker, which makes sense given that graham crackers are flavored with honey and vanilla (and sometimes cinnamon).
Take a break and enjoy!
Cinnamon Honey Vanilla
Recipe made using adapted ice cream base recipe from Jeni Britton Bauer
Makes 1 quart
2 cups whole milk
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
1 ½ oz. cream cheese, softened (3 Tbsp.)
2/3 cup honey
1/8 cup light corn syrup
1 8″ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped (I prefer Madagascar vanilla)
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp kosher salt
Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a small bowl, mix 2 Tbsp of the milk with the cornstarch. In another large bowl, whisk the cream cheese until smooth.
Combine the remaining milk with heavy cream, honey, corn syrup, vanilla bean and seeds, and cinnamon in a large saucepan. Bring milk mixture to a boil. Cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves, 4 minutes (must be exact for correct consistency).
Remove from heat and off the heat, gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until the mixture is slightly thickened (draw a line on a spoon), about 1 minute. Carefully remove the vanilla bean. Gradually pour the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Whisk in salt. Set the bowl in the ice water bath, and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 20 minutes.
Once chilled, pour ice cream base into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pack the ice cream into a plastic container. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
BakerbyNature says
I would like to eat a huge bowl of this cinnamon honey bliss right now!
derf says
My assumption is that the honey takes the place of the sugar? Not sure why the recipe calls for corn starch instead of egg yolks. I will try but probably go back to a basic vanilla recipe and add honey instead of sugar and mix in some cinnamon – would be a whole lot easier.
Lindsay says
Derf – Yes, honey takes the place of sugar in this recipe. You can also chose to add half honey and half sugar to reduce the sweetness a little bit. Cornstarch and cream cheese are added to improve consistency and texture and it is a different method than using eggs. Egg-based ice cream is a custard ice cream and has a different consistency. If you prefer custard-based recipes, the substitutions you suggested would work well.
dy says
I skipped the corn syrup and cream cheese and skimped on the corn starch, used more like one tsp (if that) and it came out great… The first time I made this the corn starch made these weird little chewy clumps once it was frozen, but this time it was perfect! great recipe
Melissa says
Just made this to go with leftover Thanksgiving pie. Yum! Forget the pie… Just eat the lucious ice cream!
Jessica says
Hi Lindsay, do you have any suggestions for light corn syrup substitutes?
Lindsay says
Jessica – I have substituted brown rice syrup several times with good results. Tapioca syrup would also work. Remember, I use corn syrup (or similar)to improve texture because corn syrup has more viscosity than sugar and freezes differently. I use it in very small amounts, but if you don’t like the idea of adding corn syrup or another syrup, you can omit it and increase the sugar content by about 25%. Sugar also helps increase the viscosity.
Laurie says
Will other starches work, such as tapioca or arrowroot?
Cheers!
Lindsay says
Laurie – Yes, tapioca starch will definitely work. I use it all of the time in place of cornstarch, I just write cornstarch in the recipe because tapioca starch is sometimes harder to find. Substitute equal parts tapioca starch for cornstarch. I have not tried to use arrowroot – you may need to substitute more arrowroot than cornstarch since arrowroot tends to be a “lighter” thickener. Good luck!