Sunday, July 12, 2009

Sunday Spice - Cinnamon Ice Cream



Oh, long gone are the days when I couldn't say it - cimmanem.  And forgotten are the years when the homophonic similarities between it and "synonym" made me giggle.   But has my love for cinnamon dwindled?  Nope, never, getouttahere.  

Welcome, dear readers to the first installment of Sunday Spice - where I will bring on the spice cream as well as the herby gelato, and the peppery pops.  Why?  Because Sundays need spice.  Sundays can be hard if you no likey your job or you are nursing yesterday's hangover or you wish you could rewind to Friday and do it all again...

Fear not the inevitability of Sunday for I am here to help.  

Do I think I'm some sort of doctor, administering what feels good where it hurts?  No.  Not at all, though I think it's cute you'd even go there.  Am I a drug dealer, getting you what you need to get by?  Don't be absurd.  We're talking dessert, here.  Truth be told, I'm more like Mother Theresa, doing really important things for those in need...of sweets.  Isn't there something about sugar being close to godliness?

Anyway, Sunday Spice, here we go!

This recipe comes from none other than David Lebovitz.  Instead of shaking ground cinnamon into the custard, he has us infuse the milk with cinnamon sticks.  If you have never tried this, I urge you to give it a shot and see the difference.  Ice cream with cinnamon powder is great.  It has cinnamon.  Cinnamon with a milk infusion IS cinnamon.  I don't know how else to say it.  It's perfectly incorporated into the ice cream the way air is incorporated into ice cream.  It's just in there.

David Lebovitz's Cinnamon Ice Cream

1 c whole milk
1/4 c sigar
pinch of salt
Ten 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken up
2 c heavy cream
5 large egg yolks

Warm the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks, and 1 c of the cream in a medium saucepan.  Once warm, cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Reheat the cinnamon-infused milk mixture.  Remove the cinnamon sticks with a slotted spoon and discard them.  Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scrapping the bottom as you you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.  Pour the custard through the strainer and into the cream.  Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.


Ice cream on the fire escape.  So Brooklyn.


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