Cream Dream – Cool, Sumptuous and Decadent – Mascarpone Ice Creams

   These remain my favorite ice cream glasses – given to me by my friend Barbara many moons ago!

My earliest ice cream memories – Circa 1960s –  involve riding my bicycle down to the “corner store” and ingesting copious amounts of Breyer’s Strawberry on sugar cones on a swirling counter stool that I could barely hoist myself up onto.   It was a mixed blessing having this store so close to home – I indulged in ridiculous amounts of penny candy, Bazooka bubble gum, ice cream and popsicles (not to mention Twinkies, Hostess Cupcakes, etc., etc.) – what kid wouldn’t, given the opportunity?  –  but consequently spent an inordinate amount of time in the dentist’s chair as punishment.  We also had a Dairy Queen right across the street from my middle school and wasn’t that just the best thing to do on the way home on many days?  Yikes, I shudder to think of it now.   But, gosh, it was great at the time!

Now, as I fight each day with the reality of being in the second half of my century, I am much more refined (hahaha).  I am in love with mascarpone – yet another obsession of mine which is of Italian origin.  Is there anything you can’t add this to and make it just a little more amazing?   I must go on a pilgrimage to Lombardy to study its origins!

I don’t know whose idea it was to first add this to an ice cream base, but let’s just say whoever it was, was a genius!  Question:  why do they only sell this in tiny little tubs in the grocery store??

To chronicle my latest obsession of thoughts and deeds:  It began last week when I got “involved” in the Three Tarts Ice Cream Sandwich contest.  I submitted three entries, was quickly subjugated down to one by the contest rules, but my mind did just the opposite – I was off imagining a string of iterations and had to eventually stop myself.   This is what happens to me – I get going on an idea and I like to” fan out” the possibilities.

I think we all have to thank Giada DeLaurentis for bringing Mascarpone into the mainstream of culinary endeavors in this country.  At least that is where I was first familiarized with using it on a broad scale.   Prior to this we all knew of it as the key ingredient of Tiramisu.  Now, as we trundle through the days of mid-summer, can there be any more fun-filled endeavor than researching and sampling all the cool confections enhanced with mascarpon-eh!  (All I read instructs me to pronounce it correctly!)   So, off I went on a search for frozen treats which include this velvety, rich cream – enhancing basically any recipe and making it into something cool, sumptuous and decadent.   Just another excuse to indulge and use your favorite decorative glasses!!!!

It would appear that no one has written a book featuring  Mascarpone in general and Mascarpone Ice Cream in particular.   (Maybe I should?)  Two people I consider among the experts in flavors and ice cream, Lindsey Shere -aka. source of the famous Lavendar-Honey of “It’s Complicated” fame, and David Lebovitz haven’t, but I am guessing it is because the rage is still relatively new and perhaps somewhat narrow – or just that you can “lift” basically any flavor imaginable and retro-fit it to a mascarpone-based ice cream.  (As an aside, seriously, does anyone really realize the overall impact of Alice Waters?  If you look at the array of amazing people who have come out of Chez Panisse, it is unbelievable.  I am a Chez Panisse crazy-person having my portrait taken (actually a video by mistake) in front and a menu framed in my kitchen.  I digress.

As my mission continued on, I found several recipes which looked very intriguing, including:  Raspberry and Grand Marnier,  Sour Cherry Mascarpone Ice Cream, Limoncello Ice Cream – this is what I would use in my submission to the contest of:  2 Ginger Snap Cookies with Blackberry-Lemon Swirl Mascarpone Ice Cream with toasted almond crunch all around.   I even found a Beet Ice Cream with Orange Zest and Poppy Seeds!   Gale Gand, a favorite of mine, offers Candied Ginger Mascarpone Ice Cream* – a 9-egg-yolker!   *note to self: try this in submission #2: On two toasted coconut shortbread cookies – Ginger Peach – Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream.  There are ones for Mango and Strawberry – you get the picture!   David Lebovitz’s  Toasted Coconut would be my jumping off point for adding mascarpone, as well as his Banana-Brown Sugar and  Salted Butter Caramel.  Ugh…….. need I go on?    Anyway, what a way to live………dreaming up and making different flavor ice creams every day!   Maybe I will re-plant myself in Italy and become a “Master Gelatier”!  Can that be anything but bliss?   Is it any wonder I am obsessed with this business?  When we were in Rome, George and Christin had 2 per day – those fatties! – and as we know, the Italians, particularly in southern Italy,  eat Gelato for breakfast – aren’t they just the smartest people in the WORLD???????

   Dusting this off for a marathon of experimentation.   (Why do I sometimes picture myself in a large commercial kitchen with the look of a mad scientist on my face?)

Anyway, continuing down the Cool, Sumptous and Decadent road…… there is a great article in this month’s La Cucina Italiana about Gelato and the frozen confections of Italy including sorbetto and granita.  This is well worth reading.   It includes the historical tidbit that in 1660, a Sicilian named Procopio dei Coltelli moved to Paris and introduced to the French, what they think of as Sorbet.  Sometimes I chuckle that we feel we are so cutting-edge –  when in fact,  most of the greatest culinary inventions are centuries old!  Just one more item the French can thank the Italians for!  (sorry, I shamelessly editorialize on behalf of my ancestery).

There is a large body of information on frozen confections – a great way to spend your time dreaming (a much better pursuit vs eating them all).   And so, off I go to “work” on my compendium of Mascarpone-enhanced ice cream recipes!   I am guessing it is going to be a good day.   I will report back to you on the results!

Here is a jumping off point – I have found recipes calling for 0-9 egg yolks – my guess is none of them could be bad!

MASCARPONE ICE CREAM – (makes about 1 qt) -Adapted from “Not Eating Out in New York”

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup mascarpone – room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until fluffy and light in color.  Set aside.  Combine the milk and cream in a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium high heat.

With a hand mixer, beat in a small amount of the hot milk/cream and continue to beat.  Repeat the process twice more and then return the yolk mixture to the saucepan of hot milk/cream.   Return to the heat on low.  Cook about 10 minutes longer stirring constantly with a spatula and scraping the edges of the pot.  Do not let mixture boil.  Cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon – it should have no lumps.

Chill the custard for at least 4 hours or overnight.  Whisk in the mascarpone and vanilla until smooth and creamy – no lumps.  Transfer to the ice cream cylinder and churn per manufacturer’s instructions.  Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours.

Check out “The Ice Cream Fellow” – very good!

 

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It is judicious, isn’t it, to always be prepared,  just in case of emergency?

Ohhhhh……just stumbled upon a recipe for Goat Cheese Ice Cream……..so little time………..