Original Ice Cream Flavor: Spice Cream with a Twist

Ice Cream Chef: Melissa

What inspired this recipe? Well, originally I wanted to do gingersnap ice cream with lemon curd because some of my favorite cookies are the ginger-lemon sandwich cookies that Trader Joe's carries. After the first batch, though, I realized the color combination was appalling, even though the ice cream really did taste like cookies, and decided to go for a bright ginger flavor with the lemon curd. The second batch was too eggy without the molassass in so I did a final test without a custard base. This is the result of that experiment. The gingersnap ice cream (minus the curd!) is going to make an appearance at Christmas this year, though.

Tastetester comments and full recipe after the jump. Take a look, then vote here!

Tastetester Comments: "I'd definitely eat this in an ice cream parlor!"

Spice Cream with a Twist

1 cup whole milk
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 inch chunk fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
a pinch of salt
2 cups cream

1/2 batch of Alton Brown's lemon curd, run through a sieve

In a small saucepan, mix the milk, ginger, sugar and salt and heat until foam forms around the edges. The goal here is to infuse the flavors and make sure the ice cream won't be gritty with sugar. Strain the mixture into large measuring cup or a mixing bowl and refrigerate until very cold. Add the 2 cups of cream and process the mixture according to your ice cream machine's instructions.

I'm a masochist, so I made my own lemon curd with a small added step. I pushed the hot curd through cheesecloth because otherwise the bits of rind leave an unpleasant texture. If you make your own, don't refrigerate it beforehand, you want it to be kind of runny. Room temperature or slightly warm worked well for me. If you use store bought curd, you may have to add a little lemon juice to make it a looser consistency.

Once the ice cream is done, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and fold in the lemon curd. Be gentle, you want large streaks of curd, they look lovely against the pale cream.

Contest Information

Go here for the full scoop on the Best Lick! 2008 contest, including prizes, rules, and entry form. Submission closes the evening of August 18th. Get your ice cream maker going!

• The Best Lick! Ice Cream Contest: 2008 Edition

The Entries So Far

Here's a list of all the entries so far. Click the thumbnail to go to the entry.

• Roasted Apricot Ice Cream with Almond Praline Ripple
• Chocolate Gelato with Salted Caramel Pecans
• Coconut Peach Ice Cream with Toasted Almonds
• Cinnamon Raisin Bagel Ice Cream
• Blueberry Brie Tart Ice Cream
• Grape Ice Cream
• Basil Infused Ginger and Cinnamon Ice Cream
• Rosemary-Lime Sparkle Ice Cream
• Mango Lassi Frozen Yogurt with Pistachio Biscotti Bits
• Visions of Sugar Plum Ice Cream
• Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream
• Apple Chardonnay Ice Cream with Bulgarian Sheep Cheese
• Mint Raspberry with a Chocolate Swirl
• Spice Cream with a Twist

(Images: Melissa)