Saffron And Toasted Almond Ice Cream Recipes

SAFFRON ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Over medium heat, bring milk to a low boil with saffron threads in it. Once it boils set it to simmer, cover and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Allow milk to cool off a bit. You can just transfer it to a bowl or stick in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a mixer combine the saffron infused milk, sugar, and salt. Mix until sugar dissolves.
• Add the heavy cream and vanilla, mix until well blended.
• Cover this and stick in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours.
• Now transfer this liquid to your frozen ice cream maker bowl, set it on the ice cream maker stand, and turn on for 15 to 20 minutes.
• You can eat it right away or pop it in the freezer. Just remember to take it out 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
• Serve with a smile!

TOASTED ALMOND AMARETTO ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Place the half-and-half, milk, dry milk, egg substitute, agave nectar, vanilla extract, amaretto, and salt in a food processor and blend until well combined, about 1 minute. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Blend the mixture again, then pour into the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Add the toasted almonds 5 minutes before the ice cream is ready. Serve with hot fudge sauce, if desired.

TRIO OF ICE CREAMS

Steps:

• Butter baking sheet. Stir first 3 ingredients in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup turns amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in nuts and peel. Immediately pour onto prepared sheet. Cool completely. Chop nougat.
• Simmer 3 tablespoons water and saffron in small saucepan until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Stir in honey. Set aside.
• Simmer 1/4 cup water and lavender in small saucepan until reduced by half, 1 minute. Add sugar; stir to dissolve. Simmer 2 minutes to thicken syrup slightly. Stir in honey. Set aside.
• Bring cream and milk to simmer in heavy large saucepan. Whisk yolks to blend in large bowl. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolks. Return mixture to same saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 10 minutes (do not boil). Divide custard among 3 bowls (about 2 cups custard in each bowl).
• Stir nougat, brown sugar and pinch of salt into 1 bowl of hot custard. Whisk honey-saffron mixture into custard in second bowl. Whisk lavender mixture into custard in third bowl. Cool mixtures completely, stirring occasionally (nougat will dissolve). Chill nougat and honey-saffron custards until cold. Chill lavender custard at least 4 hours or overnight. Strain; discard lavender in strainer.
• Process ice cream custards separately in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Freeze in covered containers. (Can be made 1 week ahead.)

SAFFRON ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Warm the milk, cream, and sugar in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the saffron. Pour into a small bowl and steep in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
• Strain the saffron-infused mixture into a medium saucepan. Rescue the threads of saffron and put them in a medium bowl. Set the strainer over the top.
• Rewarm the saffron-infused mixture. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm saffron 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, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir to incorporate the saffron threads. 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. Be sure to scrape off any saffron threads stuck to the dasher and stir them back into the frozen ice cream.
• To make Saffron-Pine Nut Ice Cream, add 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (see page 13) to the ice cream during the last 5 minutes of churning.
• Serve Saffron Ice Cream with Vanilla-Poached Quince. To poach the quince, for 6 to 8 servings you need to start out with 3 quinces (2 pounds, 1 kg). Peel and quarter the quinces, then remove the seeds and cores with a melon baller. In a nonreactive saucepan, heat 1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar, 4 cups (1 liter) water, and 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise. While the syrup is heating, cut the quinces into 1-inch (3-cm) slices.
• Add the quince slices to the syrup, cover with a round of parchment paper, and cook at a gentle simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the quince slices are rosy and tender. Let cool to room temperature, then serve the quince slices with a scoop of Saffron Ice Cream and some of the delicious poaching liquid, which can be reduced to a thick syrup before serving.

ALMOND ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, cook ½ cup sliced almonds with the sugar and the salt over medium heat until deeply golden and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Reserve.
• In the same pot, toast 1 cup sliced almonds until deeply golden, about 5 minutes. Add cream, milk, sugar and salt to the pot and simmer until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream.
• Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from heat and let steep 1 hour.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing down hard on the solids. Add almond extract to base and cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Break reserved caramelized nuts into pieces and add to base during the last 2 minutes of churning. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer until needed.