Gingersnap Ice Cream Recipe?

[edwardspk]

Hi, all,

I found the attached recipe for gingersnap ice cream published in the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/din...

The recipe looks pretty good, although I wonder whether vanilla shouldn't be included as well. Does anyone have experience with this recipe and did you like it? Or does anyone have a ginger or gingersnap ice cream recipe they would recommend instead?

I'd like to make the ice cream to serve with a mango tarte tatin for an Asian Fusion themed neighborhood dinner.

Thanks!

[edwardspk]

Update: I went with the David Lebovitz recipe for fresh ginger ice cream and included candied ginger towards the end of freezing. This stuff was amazing! I was very happy with the results. Thanks everyone for the input, and especially BananaBirkLarsen for bringing this recipe to my attention. It's a keeper!

[wyogal]

Blanching the fresh ginger destroys the enzyme that prevents setting... remember the ginger creme brulee thread? Same reason. It can curdle the milk otherwise.

[HillJ]

wyogal, I thought we were referring to candied ginger here.

[wyogal]

Did you look at the recipe?
Here's what David L. has to say about it...
http://www.slashfood.com/profile/177262/

[HillJ]

I read this above posted by BBL:

I couldn't find anything about blanching ginger for ice cream specifically, but I did find this response to a question on Lebovitz's blog about blanching when making candied ginger:

"I blanch the ginger at least once before candying since it softens the ginger. When you candy things, like ginger or citrus peel with sugar, the sugar actually toughens the peel or ginger…which is why, instead of falling apart, boiling fruit in a concentrated sugar syrup actually ‘candies’ it, and stays intact. My candied ginger slices are quite spicy, even after blanching."

[wyogal]

I was looking at this:
"That Lebovitz recipe looks good. Any thoughts on why the fresh ginger gets blanched first? "
and then found Lebovitz's answer to that question.
That's all. I'm not arguing about it. Just trying to be helpful.

[HillJ]

huh? who's arguing about candied ginger, lol....
I was actually asking for more information. But thanks anyway wyogal I'll do some reading.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

This is very interesting. I've actually had that happen to me before where I curdled an ice cream base (ginger-lemongrass, I believe) when I added the ginger directly to the milk. I think I assumed I had the temperature up too high, but this makes way more sense.

[edwardspk]

Thank y ou, wyogal. That's very helpful!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

I've never made this recipe, but David Lebovitz's fresh ginger ice cream (here: http://www.slashfood.com/2007/07/25/ginger-ice-cream-from-the-perfect-scoop/ ) is fantastic and does't include vanilla either. Lebovitz's recipe does have more ginger, sugar and egg yolk, however, and no crushed ginger snaps (although they could always be added). I don't think the recipe needs vanilla, as the fresh ginger taste is great on its own, but I doubt if vanilla would hurt it, either.

I've also made this cinnamon ice cream from epicurious (here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo... ) and added crushed ginger snaps. This was also amazingly good, although incredibly rich. For the same amount of milk and cream, it has more than double the eggs of the Lebovitz recipe and six times the number in the NYT recipe.

[edwardspk]

Thanks for the quick reply! That Lebovitz recipe looks good. Any thoughts on why the fresh ginger gets blanched first? The NY Times recipe doesn't call for blanching, although both recipes do strain out the ginger. I wonder if it's to remove some of the spiciness of the ginger?

[BananaBirkLarsen]

I couldn't find anything about blanching ginger for ice cream specifically, but I did find this response to a question on Lebovitz's blog about blanching when making candied ginger:

"I blanch the ginger at least once before candying since it softens the ginger. When you candy things, like ginger or citrus peel with sugar, the sugar actually toughens the peel or ginger…which is why, instead of falling apart, boiling fruit in a concentrated sugar syrup actually ‘candies’ it, and stays intact. My candied ginger slices are quite spicy, even after blanching."

Maybe softening the ginger first actually makes more flavour come out during the steeping process. Since it's strained out, it wouldn't need to be softened for the sake of easy eating.

And speaking of candied ginger, I suspect that the reason both recipes strain out the ginger is because it is tough and fibrous even when blanched. But I bet candied ginger pieces would be great mixed in.

[HillJ]

But I bet candied ginger pieces would be great mixed in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Speaking of candied ginger pieces, I added a generous cup of diced candied ginger to my last batch of trail mix and it was such a hit, that certain something that was missing without it, that I'll be preparing it way from now on. Candied ginger!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Candied ginger is wonderful! In the fall, I often make a pear-maple-ginger pie that has a ton of candied ginger in it. To bring it back on topic, that pie (and perhaps even your trail mix) would be wonderful with a big scoop of any of the ice creams discussed in this thread.

[HillJ]

That's what I was thinking! Big scoop of ice cream with my super-gingery trail mix! Oh my.

[magiesmom]

It is wonderful added to granola after it is cooked, also.

[HillJ]

As much as I adore homemade trail mixes and homemade nut/fruit bars, I'm not a big fan of granola. Odd as it sounds, I don't like these mixes baked, too hard on the teeth and always missing something for me. I love a good chew/nut combo. So, I make my bars raw and my trail mixes with a heavy hand towards chewy.

Ginger; especially candied ginger goes into a good deal of the recipes I enjoy tho including soups (like sweet potaote or carrot soup) and recently I made a ginger curd that was time consuming but very satisfying.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

You don't have a recipe for that ginger curd do you? That sounds amazing.

[HillJ]

Sure BBL, I'll post it tomorrow morning. I'm watching the Queen's Jubilee!

[HillJ]

Ginger-Lime Curd
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup grated lime peel (from about 12 limes)
2 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
Whisk eggs, yolks, sugar, lime juice, lime peel, ginger, and salt in large metal bowl to blend. Place bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch simmering water); whisk constantly until curd thickens, about 8 minutes. Remove bowl from over simmering water; whisk butter into curd. Strain through fine strainer set over bowl; discard solids in strainer. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd; chill overnight. Keep refrigerated.

[pine time]

Oh, HillJ, thanks so much--the curd "reads" wonderful. Will be making it this weekend! What all do you have it with?

[HillJ]

pine time, my favorite use is the base of a strawberry shortcake. Biscuits, fresh whipped cream, ginger curd and sliced berries. But it's wonderful on pancakes, in crepes with sliced crystal ginger pieces, with brie or goat cheese on toasted egg bread....or just have at it with a spoon :)

Do let us know how the recipe works for ya!

[pine time]

wow, all of that sounds great, thanks! Time to get to the grocery store...

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Oooh, I only just saw this! Thank you! It's saved to my pepperplate.

[HillJ]

My pleasure, BBL. Hope you give it a try.

[HillJ]

Do you think it would be to soften the ginger bits some beforehand.