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+ servings
Ginger Ice Cream with Black Pepper and Orange Zest
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Chilling time
6 hrs
 

Warming and spicy, this homemade ginger and black pepper ice cream is lovely by itself or alongside richer desserts. Recipe adapted from the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook, by Michelle Wojtowicz, Phillip Wojtowicz, Michael Gilson and Catherine Price

Recipe Type: Dessert
Keyword: ginger ice cream
Makes: 2 quarts
Author: Elizabeth Stark, adapted adapted from the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook, by Michelle Wojtowicz, Phillip Wojtowicz, Michael Gilson and Catherine Price
Ingredients
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 inch section of fresh ginger peeled and sliced
  • 4 egg yolks
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Zest of one orange
  • 4 - 6 turns of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Put the ginger in a small saucepan and just cover with water. Bring it to a boil and then let it steep for 10 minutes. Strain out the water (and discard) and then combine the ginger and 1 cup of milk in a blender. Blend well, for two minutes or more.
  2. Combine the milk and ginger mixture, the rest of the milk, and the cream, honey, salt, and half the sugar in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat, when the cream mixture is starting to steam set aside for ten minutes to allow for even more steeping. Bring the heat slowly back up; put the yolks in a heat proof bowl whisking in the other half of the sugar and the orange zest. Whisk a cup or so, 1/4 cup at a time, into the yolks. The goal is the raise the heat of the eggs so they won't curdle when added to cream. Whisk the tempered eggs into the cream mixture. Cook over medium heat until the custard begins to thicken and coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 minutes
  3. Pour into a large bowl, cover and chill for a long time – 3 hours at least. (Speed things along by putting the mixture over an ice bath.) Then process according to your ice-cream maker's instructions. Please note that this makes slightly less than 2 quarts of ice cream, so you might need to process the ice cream in two batches. Remove from ice cream maker and freeze for as long as you can wait. Three hours is good, but this ice cream is at it's best once it has cured for a few days. Serve with a twist of orange peel and a dash of fresh pepper.