Did you know July is National Ice Cream Month? Right on heels of June’s National Iced Tea Month comes a whole month dedicated to celebrating another of America’s favorite summer treats. How are you celebrating?
You might be indulging more than usual in some of your favorite flavors (who are we to judge?), but an even better way to commemorate the occasion is to make your own ice cream at home. The LA Times has a collection of over 25 different flavors you can make yourself. If you’re afraid that these recipes will have you screaming for help instead of ice cream, fear not– a lot of them are easy to follow.
For the lover of tea and ice cream (we presume there are more than a few), a special tea-flavored ice cream recipe may be just what you’re looking for. Check out this recipe for Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream from Spoonful. It’s surprisingly simple and doesn’t require any fancy machinery, just some powdered matcha tea.
Green tea ice cream (adapted from Harumi’s Japanese Home Cooking)
2 tablespoons green tea powder (matcha)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1. In a small bowl, mix the green tea powder with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg yolks and remaining sugar.
3. Pour the milk into a small pan and gently heat, taking care not to let it boil (ideally the temperature of the milk should be 176 degrees F). Remove the pan from the heat and mix a few spoonfuls of the warm milk with the green tea powder and sugar in a small bowl. When you have a smooth paste, add it to the remaining milk in the pan, then gradually combine with the egg yolk mixture.
4. Return mixture to the stove and heat slowly over low heat (taking care to not let the mixture boil), until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, strain through a fine sieve, and allow to cool completely.
5. Lightly whip the cream and then add it to the cold green tea-milk mixture.
6. Transfer the mixture to a large container, chill for an hour or two in the refrigerator, and then put it in the freezer. As ice crystals start to form, remove, and mix well with a spoon (use a wooden spoon and stir very vigorously) to break them up and return the mixture to the freezer. Repeat this a few times as it freezes to ensure that the ice cream is smooth.
Ready to give it a shot? It may take some trial and error, but before you know it, you’ll be whipping up batch after batch of green tea ice cream. And if you need someone to do some quality assurance and taste-testing along the way, please don’t hesitate to call us!