What to pair with ginger ice cream?

[QueenB]

I made some ginger ice cream this weekend (both infused with ginger, and with chopped crystallized ginger in it). It's a bit too strong and spicy for me to eat on it's own.

Any ideas of what would pair with it well, to both compliment the flavor and tone it down a bit?

[QueenB]

So many great ideas! Thank you so much.
I think I may go the chocolate route. I'm still not sure though!

[ChefJune]

How about a brownie ice cream sandwich with it, and then encase the sandwich in a hard chocolate shell? Overkill??????????

I think not.... ;>D

[cheetobrain]

I think it would be delicious paired with a sticky rice of some kind (maybe mango sticky rice??)...the sweetness would offset the spice of the ginger, and vice versa.

[cinderz]

I just made a dessert from David Burke's cookbook for stir-fried fruit with a simply syrup and ginger ice cream. Not as complicated as sounds. Just take an assortment of fruit (berries, chopped apple, chopped melon, pineapple, etc), sautee quickly in a light oil (I used grapeseed) and pour over a simple syrup (I made one flavored with green tea). Serve with ginger ice cream. If you're feeling lazy, make the simple syrup ahead of time, don't saute the fruit but keep at room temperature and skip the pineapple....Just add ice cream at the end.

[waver]

This is SO's traditional party dessert: ice cream bombe. So you could layer it with a couple of other flavours in a freezer safe container, then pop it out at serving time and slice. I love ginger with cinnamon (although I sadly don't have a recipe for cinnamon ice cream), but a creamy vanilla and a cacoa-y chocolate sorbet would make for intersting layers. Or maybe a fruit sorbet in there?

[kobetobiko]

You can just drizzle some maple syrup!

For a more Asian twist, you can put thick red bean "sweet soup" which is almost like a sauce.

You can also serve it with candied sweet potato slices!

[piccola]

On roasted peaches or grilled pineapple.
With apple wontons or dumplings.
Sweet potato pie or biscuits.
In the winter: with fruitcake (the moist, nutty kind)
With baklava
With tuiles

[PotatoPuff]

make a root beer float, but with creme soda or something instead of root beer... perhaps a more gourmet sparkling apple juice?

[sugarbuzz]

Sandwich them with some fudge cookies

Make a brownie sundae with chocolate brownies, ginger ice cream, bananas sauteed in brown sugar & rum, whipped cream, toasted coconut & caramel sauce

Make a ginger beer float using cream soda

Make an apple or pear crisp

[ipsedixit]

Graham crackers or taro chips.

[SuzMiCo]

If you can find any decent peaches, I think it would be amazing with a peach cobbler, or just sliced peaches.

[Will Owen]

Yeah, peaches are great with ginger, and apricots too. 'Way early for good ones, though good canned ones cut up and warmed in a pan with a little butter, then served on a split shortcake biscuit with the ginger ice cream on top would make me happy, for one.

I'm also very much taken with sugarbuzz's suggestions, below. I like the way his/her mind works...

[ChefJune]

I was thinking peach pie... also carrot cake, but that might have too many spices in it.

How sweet is the ice cream? Maybe pair it with something savory like a pork roast?

[Pei]

I haven't tried this, but my first thought was it would be great with a slice of carrot cake.

[msbo78]

Strawberry pie, crisp or cobbler. If you serve it over warm pie/crisp/cobbler it will get melty and mix with the sweet strawberry juices and buttery topping.

[m_poochie]

try some figs !yummy !

[dukegirl]

How about a lemon pound cake?

[pepper_mil]

Pear or banana upside down cake. Green tea/ginger ice cream is great; I second that notion as well.

http://frugalcuisine.blogspot.com

[mmmclapclap]

try green tea ice cream

[Emme]

Bake some phyllo cups, and serve the ice cream with the non-sweet pastry.

Or bake buttermilk biscuits, then split and sandwich w/ ice cream... the salt will no doubt cut the sweet.

Or, serve with crumbled not-too-sweet hazelnut biscotti.

Or, serve it over pears or some other fruit that isn't as sweet.

As a consolation, over the next few days, the ginger flavor should dissipate a bit and blandify itself.

[Non Cognomina]

Make a fruit salad of orange segments and chunks of baby pineapple. Top with ginger ice cream and toasted sliced almonds.

A rhubarb crisp topped with ginger ice creams sounds divine.

[Cynsa]

I love ginger ice cream with dark chocolate!

[Miss Needle]

Exactly! I would make a chocolate cake of some sorts.

[Carb Lover]

Yeah, I was thinking either a chocolate or caramel sauce would go well and be an easy fix.

BTW, does someone have a good recipe for chocolate/fudge sauce to go over ice cream? I tried making a ganache-like sauce to go over vanilla ice cream once and it hardened up when it made contact w/ the cold ice cream. It was really kinda interesting to eat though when I would take a bite of sauce, swirl in my mouth, followed by a bite of ice cream. The sauce instantly firming up in the mouth was an intriguing sensation that I thought molecular gastronomists might appreciate. I still want some good old-fashioned sauce though...

[Katie Nell]

My mom's recipe is very good- I'll post it tonight! (For what it's worth, I'm in the chocolate camp too!)

[Katie Nell]

I thought I had this recipe but I don't- I will have to get it this weekend!

[Katie Nell]

Found it! It is was in my bread section of all places! (Eye roll! ;-)

Hot Fudge Sauce
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted (I'm sure this would be good with bittersweet too)
1/4 cup butter
1/8 t. salt
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla

Cook first 5 ingredients over medium heat until mixture boils and chocolate is incorporated, stirring constantly. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add vanilla; mix and serve over ice cream.

[Carb Lover]

Thanks so much, Katie! This sounds just like what I'm looking for. (You've made my husband--official choc. fudge lover---very happy!)

[QueenB]

Oh my gosh Katie Nell, I'm sitting here at work, practically drooling. I love hot fudge sauce.

[Katie Nell]

Oh good, I hope you try it! It's the best fudge sauce I've ever had, but I could be biased since it is my mom! :-) For the record, I think I would eat anything on this thread- all of the combos sound so good!

[lipur]

you can pair with apple beignets or apple fritter. Something with apple or pear.
Warm apple compote, apple tart tatin ect.

[AnnaEA]

I'd serve it in tiny scoops on something made with mango -- mangoes and ginger are astonishingly yummy together. *envisioning mini "mango splits" now*

You could probably also make a very nice float or shake with it.

[Veggo]

Maybe a scoop of vanilla alongside?

[orangewasabi]

butter cookies to make an ice cream sandwich

or a poached pear

[ccbweb]

I love the ice cream sandwich idea!

[Quine]

make a recipe of plain french vanilla ice cream and blend them? What I did when I overdid the ginger myself. And i had a double amount of now GREAT ginger ice cream.