Tiramisu Ice Cream

 


I’ve professed my love for ice cream (especially the homemade variety) several times recently so it’s probably not terribly shocking that I’m sharing yet another ice cream recipe today.  This flavor, though, is WAY out of my comfort zone.  About 99% of the times we go out for ice cream I order mint chocolate chip – it’s my go-to and I love it so much I don’t usually see any reason to try something else.  I’m not sure if that makes me unadventurous or boring, but I’m ok with either when it comes to my ice cream.  When I make ice cream at home, I usually stick to vanilla, chocolate, peanut butter or some combination of the three, mainly because those are the flavors Shane will help me eat.  That said, there have been a few exceptions – most notably, this lemon curd ice cream which blew my mind the first time I made it and still remains a favorite.

I decided to make the tiramisu ice cream primarily because I had a container of mascarpone in the fridge that needed to be used and I wanted to make something simple and preferably sweet, not savory.  This ice cream is made simply by combining mascarpone, half and half, sugar, salt and alcohol and whirring them in the food processor, so it’s the perfect recipe for those days when you want homemade ice cream but don’t feel like tempering eggs or making a custard.  The only problem I ran into was that my ice cream froze (and I use that word loosely here) quite soft.  In fact, I’d say it was barely soft serve texture when it was done churning.  There’s a fair amount of alcohol (which doesn’t freeze) in the recipe so no doubt that played a role here.  A bit of time in the freezer remedied the problem though the ice cream still melted more quickly than most I’ve made.

I didn’t expect to like the ice cream as much I did so it was a pleasant surprise!  It was very reminiscent of the dessert itself.  I found it quite rich and while the alcohol wasn’t overpowering it definitely made its presence known.  I was glad I stepped out of my comfort zone for this one and can definitely see myself making it again this summer.  So, now I’m curious – are you adventurous when it comes to ice cream or do you order the same thing every time you go out like me? 

Tiramisu Ice Cream
from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

2 cups (450 g) mascarpone
1 cup (250 ml) half-and-half
2/3 cup (130 g) sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) coffee-flavored liqueur, such as Kahlua
3 tablespoons (45 ml) brandy or dark rum
mocha ripple (recipe below)

In the bowl of a food processor, puree the mascarpone, half-and-half, sugar, salt, liqueur, and brandy until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Chill the mixture thoroughly in your refrigerator before churning in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  As you remove the ice cream from your machine, alternate layers of the mocha ripple with the ice cream in your storage container.

Mocha Ripple: 
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) light corn syrup
1/2 cup strongly brewed espresso
6 tablespoons (50 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, espresso, and cocoa powder.  Put the pan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges.  Continue to whisk until the mixture just comes to a low boil, then cook for 1 minute more, whisking frequently.  Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool.  Chill the mocha ripple thoroughly in your refrigerator before using.  It will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge if covered.