Monday, May 26, 2008

Cinnamon Ice Cream

I've been craving cinnamon ice cream ever since eating it (with an excellent apple crisp) at a restaurant a few weeks ago. I've also been wanting to try making a Philadelphia-style (aka egg-free) ice cream. I had a bit of trouble finding a recipe for one, but finally dug one up in A Passion for Ice Cream by using the look-inside feature on Amazon. I'm considering buying the book as I think it's focus on Philadelphia-style ice creams would make a nice counterpoint to the Williams-Sonoma book which pretty much focuses on custard-based ice creams. Also appealing is the fact that it has lots of desserts which use ice cream as part of the dessert instead of the whole thing.

Anyway, the recipe is super simple. I was about 1/4 cup short on cream so I just added an extra 1/4 cup whole milk and otherwise followed the directions as well as I could (it was a little hard to read the numbers on the Amazon reader. I threw 2-1/2 cups heavy cream, 1-1/4 cups of milk, 2/3 cup sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks , 1/3 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/3 tsp salt in a pot and scalded the whole mess. Then I chilled everything, strained it into the ice cream maker, and froze. Easy peasy.

The finished ice cream has a delicacy and milky sweetness, paired with the distinct, but not overwhelming, flavor of the cinnamon. When I was little, whenever I was sick my mother would make buttered toast sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. This tastes pretty much like that in ice cream form. I think it might be a bit too cream flavored for me, but I mostly like it, and Wendy has pronounced herself a fan.

It came out smoother than my past attempts at ice cream making but I'm not sure if it's because I didn't have to make custard or if it's because I chilled everything for longer than previously before pouring it into the ice cream maker. Too many variables.

3 comments:

Schnookie said...

Wow! This ice cream sounds really sublime! And how exciting to try out Philadelphia-style ice cream for a change. I think you clearly need to do some more research comparing it with custard-based ice creams, though. Just, you know, to make sure you're considering all the variables. If you need any help eating all that ice cream, just give me a shout... :D

Meg said...

I think you clearly need to do some more research comparing it with custard-based ice creams, though. Just, you know, to make sure you're considering all the variables.

It'll be painful, but somehow I think I'll be able to soldier through. :)

That IPB Living post from awhile back about taste testing the vanilla extracts has me wanting to get fancy schmancy vanilla to try out as well. It never even occurred to me that all extracts are not created equal.

Schnookie said...

The difference between vanillas is so weird! I mean, vanilla should just be vanilla, right? I think taste testing vanillas in ice cream sounds even more delicious than our approach to testing them in cookie pudding. Hmm... Maybe I need to try this this summer, too!