Ginger Ice Cream

Ginger is spicy and seductive.  Once familiar to you, the flavor is distinctive and adds a layer of complexity to many dishes.  I’ve discovered that ginger is a spice included in many holiday recipes, although this flavorful root has many uses ranging from an ingredient in medicine to savory spice to flavoring drinks.  While attending a recent party, I was served an Apple Ginger & Cranberry Pie which was outstanding!  I immediately asked for the recipe.  As my contribution to a holiday dinner party, I turned the recipe into a crisp and served it with ginger ice cream.

Ginger is an excellent ingredient for ice cream as it adds both spice and heat, resulting in a contrast of hot and cold and explosion of flavor in every bite.  This scoop would be the perfect complement to any sweet or spicy holiday dessert.  Enjoy!

Ginger Ice Cream
Makes 1 quart

2 cups whole milk
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1/8 cup light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Fill a large bowl with ice water, set aside.  In a small bowl, mix 2 Tablespoons milk with the cornstarch.

Combine the remaining milk with heavy cream, sugar, ginger, and corn syrup in a large saucepan.  Bring milk mixture to a boil.  Cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes.  Ginger pieces will remain in the mixture.  Remove from heat and off 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.

Pour the hot milk mixture into a blender; add salt.  Cover top of blender with a towel (to prevent hot milk mixture from flying everywhere) and blend until ginger is very fine and mixture is smooth.  Pour the mixture into a gallon bag, seal tightly, and set baggie in the ice water bath.  Cover with some ice and let stand until cold, about 20 minutes, or refrigerate overnight.

Once ice cream base is chilled, pour ice cream base into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream (to prevent ice crystals) and close with an airtight lid.  Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.