I am lucky enough to have a fig tree in my garden. It provides wonderful shade in the summer and this year there has been a particularly bountiful crop of sweet, juicy figs. There is nothing better in the morning to wake up and pick a fig or two off the tree for breakfast. In the recent hot weather, I was sitting under the tree and naturally thinking of ice cream and thought of how delicious a fig ice cream might be. I was lucky enough to find a David Lebovitz recipe and by the end of the day I was eating a deliciously creamy fig ice cream. Joyful!
Ingredients
1kg fresh figs (about 20)
125 ml water
1 lemon, preferably unsprayed
150 g sugar
250 ml double cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
Directions
Remove the hard stem ends from the figs, then cut each fig into 8 pieces. Put the figs in a medium, nonreactive saucepan with the water and zest the lemon directly into the saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the figs are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove the lid, add the sugar and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the figs are a jamlike consistency. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, purée the fig paste in a blender or food processor with the cream and lemon juice. Taste, then add more lemon juice if desired.
Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
I really loved the pistachio gelato I made a while back and was keen to make the most of my new ice cream maker. I can’t remember exactly how this recipe from https://www.snixykitchen.com/honeylemon-thyme-ricotta-ice-cream-with-vanilla-peaches/ came across my radar, but I do remember that it stuck in my mind as something I had to make. I’m a huge fan of using herbs in sweet food and I particularly like lemon thyme. When I was in Florence, as well as indulging in pistachio gelato, I had pear and ricotta gelato which was delicious.
This is a really special ice-cream, its not very sweet and has a savoury tang. When combined with the sweet juicy vanilla peaches, it is sensational.
Ingredients
130 ml whole milk
2 tablespoons corn flour
95ml whipping cream
4-6 sprigs fresh lemon thyme (or regular thyme works too!)
1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
30g honey
2 tablespoons cane sugar
340g ricotta
3 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon flaky salt
Vanilla
Peaches
3 medium peaches
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Directions
Whisk the corn starch in a
small bowl with about 3 tablespoons of the milk to make smooth slurry. Set
aside.
Bring remaining 95g + 1
tablespoon whole milk and whipping cream to boil in a small saucepan over
medium heat. Remove from heat add the fresh thyme and vanilla bean seeds and
pod (or essence), cover, and let steep for 20 minutes.
Strain the milk into a heat
proof bowl to remove the thyme and vanilla bean. Scrape the inside of the warm
vanilla bean into the milk and cream. Return the steeped milk and cream to the
saucepan.
Give the corn starch slurry one
last whisk to make sure it’s completely incorporated. Slowly whisk the corn
starch slurry into the milk and cream saucepan and bring it back to a boil over
medium-high heat.
Cook, stirring, until it
thickens about 1 minute.
Pour in the honey and sugar,
stirring just until it dissolves. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath
by filling a large bowl with ice cubes and water.
Add the honeyed milk to a
blender or food processor with fresh ricotta, cream cheese, and salt. Blend
until completely smooth.
Pour the ice cream base into a
large Ziploc bag. Seal it and submerge the mixture in the ice bath until cold,
about 30 minutes.
Churn according to the
manufacturer’s instructions and freeze overnight.
Serve with warm vanilla
peaches.
Vanilla Peaches
Peel the peaches. Either do
this with a vegetable peeler or blanch the peaches in boiling water for 20
seconds, dunk them in an ice bath, and slide the skin off. Slice into 8-12
wedges.
Melt the butter in a medium
skillet over medium-low heat. Add the peaches, honey, and vanilla bean
scrapings. Cook just until the honey melts and the peaches begin to soften, 3-5
minutes.
