Black Pepper Ice Cream Recipes

BLACK PEPPER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Warm the milk, sugar, peppercorns, salt and 1 cup of the half and half in a medium saucepan. (I heated it until it almost boiled.) Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for one hour.
• Rewarm the peppercorn-infused mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the yolks, then pour it all back into the saucepan.
• Quickly rinse the bowl, pour the remaining half and half into it, and set a mesh strainer on top.
• Stir the custard constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula until it thickens. Pour the custard through the strainer, pressing the peppercorns gently to extract as much flavor as possible.
• Discard the peppercorns and stir the custard into the cream.
• Chill thoroughly (4-6 hours, or 2 hours over an ice bath).
• Freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions.

BLACK PEPPER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium-size saucepan, combine the cream, milk, sugar and pepper. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk the yolks in a a mixing bowl until light. Whisking constantly and rapidly, gradually pour the boiling cream mixture into the yolks.
• Place over a bowl of ice to cool. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions.

BLACK PEPPER ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Arrange 2 oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cardamom, salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the brown sugar and butter together with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides, add the egg and beat to combine. Add the molasses and beat to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
• Shape the dough into walnut-sized balls, about 1 tablespoon each, then roll them in sanding sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and flatten slightly.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until puffy and crackled on top, about 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile fold the cayenne, 1/2 cup crystalized ginger, and 4 teaspoons black pepper into the ice cream. Allow to re-freeze for 10 minutes. Once the ice cream is hard enough to scoop, sandwich about 1/4 cup ice cream between pairs of cookies. Re-freeze for at least 2 hours.
• Combine the remaining 1/4 cup crystallized ginger with the remaining 4 teaspoons pepper in a medium bowl. Roll the ice cream sandwich sides in the mixture. Serve immediately or individually wrap in plastic and keep in the freezer for up to 1 week.

STRAWBERRY, BLACK PEPPER AND BALSAMIC ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, mix 1 cup of the cream with the milk, 3/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt. Warm the cream mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and tiny bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir in the black peppercorns. Cover, remove from the heat, and let sit for 1 hour. Taste and let sit longer if you want a stronger flavor.
• Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with several inches of ice water. Set a smaller metal bowl (one that holds at least 1-1/2 quarts) in the ice water. Pour the remaining cup of cream into the inner bowl (this helps the custard cool quicker when you pour it in later). Set a fine strainer on top. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl.
• Rewarm the cream mixture over medium-high heat until tiny bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes. In a steady stream, pour half of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.
• Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heatproof rubber spatula until the custard thickens slightly (it should be thick enough to coat the spatula and hold a line drawn through it with a finger), 4 to 8 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should read 175° to 180°F at this point. Don't let the sauce overheat or boil, or it will curdle. Immediately strain the custard into the cold cream in the ice bath. Press firmly on the black peppercorns in the strainer with the spatula to extract as much flavor as possible.
• Cool the custard to below 70°F by stirring it over the ice bath. Puree strawberries with the 1/2 cup sugar. Stir the strawberry puree, balsamic vinegar, and vanilla extract into the cooled custard.
• Refrigerate the custard until completely chilled, at least 4 hours. Then freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an air-tight container, and freeze for at least 4 hours or up to 2 weeks.

ICE CREAM WITH BLACK PEPPER AND SINGLE MALT SCOTCH

Steps:

• Divide the ice cream into 4 bowls.
• Grind the black pepper over the ice cream, about 6 grinds per portion.
• Pour one tablespoon of Scotch over each dish and serve.

STRAWBERRY HONEY BALSAMIC WITH BLACK PEPPER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Strawberry puree:
• Spread the strawberries out evenly on the lined sheet pan and drizzle them with the honey. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir the berries and continue baking until they just barely begin to caramelize and get a little bit of roasted color to them, about 20 minutes more. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and let them sit until they're cool enough to handle. Transfer the berries to a blender along with the yummy sticky stuff on the parchment paper and puree to make a smooth sauce. Chill in the fridge until cold.
• Store the puree in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Ice cream base:
• Combine the sugar, dry milk, and xanthan gum in a small bowl and stir well.
• Pour the corn syrup into a medium pot and stir in the whole milk. Add the sugar mixture and immediately whisk vigorously until smooth. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent a simmer, until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.
• Add the cream and whisk until fully combined. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours, or for even better texture and flavor, 24 hours. Stir the base back together if it separates during the resting time. The base can be further stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. (Just be sure to fully thaw the frozen base before using it.)
• Ice cream:
• In a bowl, combine the strawberry puree, vinegar, and black pepper with the ice cream base. Whisk as needed to get everything completely incorporated into the base. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and turn on the machine. Churn just until it has the texture of soft-serve.
• Stir the jam with a fork to loosen it. Quickly alternate spooning layers of the mixture and dollops of the jam in freezer-friendly containers.
• Cover with parchment paper, pressing it to the surface of the ice cream so it adheres, then cover with a lid. It's okay if the parchment hangs over the rim. Store it in the coldest part of your freezer (farthest from the door) until firm, at least 6 hours. It will keep for up to 3 months.