Chocolate Creme Fraiche Ice Cream Recipes

CRèME FRAîCHE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Whisk together the milk, sugar, crème fraîche, lemon zest and vanilla. Set aside for 10 mins for the sugar to melt. Churn in an ice-cream machine, following manufacturer's instructions, before freezing. Or freeze for 1 hr, then give a good whisk and return to the freezer for another hour. Repeat 3 or 4 times until it becomes solid.

PECAN TART WITH MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE AND CREME FRAICHE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• For the pie dough: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and blend until it comes to a pea-size crumble. Dump that mixture out into a bowl and pour 5 tablespoons cold water in. Mix to bind it with your hands just until it comes together, then wrap and let rest for 15 minutes. (Be careful not to overmix your dough to form gluten.)
• Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thick on a floured surface, then press into a 10-inch fluted tart pan, being careful to get all the edges pressed into the corners. Using a fork, poke holes in the dough so it doesn't bubble while baking. Gently lay cheesecloth over the top of the tart and pour in 1 cup of pie weights to blind bake the shell. Bake until blond (light golden brown), 18 to 20 minutes.
• For the filling: Melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in the brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla until smooth.
• Combine the cream cheese, orange zest, salt and eggs together in a stand mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on high speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the mixer once, until smooth and not lumpy, about 3 minutes. On low speed add your hot sugar and butter mixture to your egg and cream cheese mixture. Fold the pecans into the mixture and fill the tart shell.
• Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Place the Hot Chocolate on the bottom of a plate in a circular puddle. Dust the top of the tart with powdered sugar, then place over the hot chocolate. Quenelle the Creme Fraiche Ice Cream (form into football shapes) and place it on top of the tart. Garnish with the Candied Orange Zest and potato leaves.
• Place the chocolate in a large bowl and set aside.
• Combine the cream, granulated sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, coriander, salt, allspice, cloves and chile in a saucepot and bring to 180 degrees F. Remove from the heat, strain all of the solids out of the cream mixture and pour over the chocolate.
• Let sit 1 minute, then whisk until it all comes together.
• Mix together the egg yolks, whole eggs, granulated sugar and salt in a bowl and whisk well.
• Combine the cream, crème fraiche and milk in a pot over medium heat and bring to 180 degrees F.
• Temper the hot cream into your egg mixture by adding a small amount of the hot cream to the egg mixture, whisking constantly, then whisking the egg mixture into the hot cream, whisking constantly. Let cool to room temperature, then strain.
• Pour the custard into the ice cream machine.
• Run the machine according to its instructions until thick and creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the machine and let it set up the rest of the way in the freezer, about 4 hours.
• Peel zests from the orange with a peeler.
• Roll the zests up and cut them into chiffonade strips.
• Mix the raw sugar together with 1/2 cup granulated sugar on a tray and set aside.
• Stir together the remaining cup granulated sugar with 1/3 cup water in a pot and wipe the sides of the pot down with a wet hand. Bring this solution up to 242 degrees F.
• Throw the orange zests into the pot and swirl the pot a few times. Take off the heat.
• Strain through a sieve to retrieve the orange zests. Immediately throw the orange zests into the sugar mixture and toss quickly so that they separate and crystalize in the sugar.
• Transfer zests to parchment paper and let harden, about 1 hour.

CRèME FRAîCHE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Prepare a medium-sized bowl with a mesh strainer over the top and set it in an ice bath.
• Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
• Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof plastic spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir until cool over an ice bath. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
• Once cool, whisk in the crème fraîche, then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• If crème fraîche is your refined cousin from France, mascarpone is the rugged Italian uncle from New Jersey that no one in the family likes to talk about. To make Mascarpone Ice Cream, substitute 2 cups (480 g) mascarpone for the crème fraîche. Mascarpone ice cream makes a terrific affogato: douse a couple of scoops with a shot of warm espresso.
• Make Cherries Jubilee by warming Candied Cherries (page 215) with 2 tablespoons kirsch or curaçao (or another liqueur) and then spooning the warm cherries over scoops of Crème Fraîche Ice Cream.