People ate something similar to ice cream long before refrigerators. Even in ancient China and Persia, snow or ice was mixed with fruits and syrups. And the Roman Emperor Nero sent servants to the mountains for snow for cold desserts. Historians consider these early ancestors of ice cream. In ancient Rome and Mesopotamia, special ice storage facilities were built for cold desserts, and snow was brought from the mountains, so these very ancestors of ice cream long remained a food for the elite.
Well, ice cream is available to you in a wide variety of forms, including homemade ice cream. The main thing is to remember a few secrets. First, the cream should be heavy, and if you can use homemade cream, that’s the best option. If not, no problem, use cream with 33-35% fat content, and everything will turn out just fine. Second, heat the cream and milk over very low heat for 7-8 minutes. And thirdly, the ice cream needs to be mixed very thoroughly. So, let’s get to work?
Ice cream with rose petals
4 servings
Cooking time: 1 hour 40 min.
I usually make ice cream with only cream, but in this recipe it should be light, so I also added milk. You can sprinkle the finished ice cream with pistachios.
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 225 g sugar
- 4 roses
- 5 egg yolks
1. Grind the rose petals together with the sugar in a blender or chop with a knife.
2. Pour the milk and cream into a small saucepan, add half of the rose-sugar mixture, stir and heat over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Combine the remaining rose petals and sugar with the yolks and beat with a mixer until the mixture becomes lighter.
4. When the sugar has dissolved, remove the saucepan from the heat and, stirring continuously, add the sugar-yolk mixture.
5. Place the saucepan back on low heat and, stirring constantly, heat until the mixture is set and becomes like a thick cream.
6. Remove the saucepan from the heat and continue stirring for a while.
7. Place the ice cream in the freezer and stir occasionally until it sets evenly, or use an ice cream maker.
Citrus Semifreddo
4 servings
Preparation time 35 mins.
Freezing time 4 hours.
- 1 cup 33-35% heavy cream
- 120 g powdered sugar
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- 8 egg yolks
- 6 egg whites
- a pinch of sea salt
1. Finely grate the zest of the lime and lemon.
2. Squeeze the juice from half a lime and half a lemon.
3. Beat the yolks with powdered sugar.
4. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and lime.
5. Place everything in a water bath and, whisking continuously, heat until the mixture thickens.
6. Whip the cream into a thick foam.
7. Combine the yolk and sugar mixture with the cream.
8. Beat the whites with a pinch of salt, add to the resulting mixture and mix.
9. Line a long, tall mold with cling film and fill it with the resulting mixture.
10. Place the ice cream in the freezer for at least 4 hours. Stir every hour until frozen evenly.
Goat yogurt ice cream with berry sauce
6 servings
Preparation time 50 min.
Freezing time 4 hours
- 300 ml 35% cream
- 300 g goat yogurt
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 4 yolks
- 2–3 sprigs of mint
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the sauce:
- 300 g blueberries
- 1 orange
- 1 lime
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1. Beat the yolks and 100 g powdered sugar until the mixture becomes lighter and slightly increases in volume.
2. Bring the cream to a boil, remove from heat and, continuing to beat the yolks with powdered sugar, pour in the cream.
3. Place the cream with the yolks in a water bath and, whisking continuously, bring to a boil (the mixture should become slightly thicker).
4. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and cool.
5. Combine the cooled cream with yogurt, pour the resulting mixture into a plastic container and put in the freezer for at least 4 hours. Stir the ice cream from time to time with a wooden spoon until the mixture remains smooth.
6. Dissolve the starch in 50 ml of cold water.
7. Finely grate the orange zest.
8. Squeeze the juice from the lime and orange.
9. Prepare the sauce: melt the butter in a frying pan, add the berries, 75 g of powdered sugar and simmer for a couple of minutes over low heat.
10. Add the orange zest, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, lime and orange juice, and starch water to the pan, mix everything and cool.
11. Serve the ice cream with the cooled berry sauce poured over it and garnished with mint leaves.
