Pear Stracciatella Ice Cream Recipes

PEAR STRACCIATELLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Put 4 cups water, 4 cups sugar, and the lemon juice in a large saucepan. Scrape in the vanilla seeds, then add the bean. Bring mixture to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add pears to pan. Cover surface of liquid with a sheet of parchment paper. Cook pears until very tender, 15 to 25 minutes (time will vary depending on ripeness of pears). Remove from heat. Let pears cool completely in poaching liquid.
• Transfer pears to a cutting board. Discard all but 1/4 cup poaching liquid. Halve and core pears. Puree 3 pears in a food processor. Finely chop remaining 2 pears.
• Whisk yolks, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Heat milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture is steaming and small bubbles form on edges. Add to yolk mixture; whisk until combined. Pour mixture back into pan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat spoon, about 5 minutes.
• Pour custard through a fine sieve into a large bowl set in an ice-water bath. Let cool, stirring occasionally.
• Stir pear puree, reserved poaching liquid, brandy (if desired), and extract into custard. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.
• When mixture is frozen but still being churned, add chopped pear. Pour in melted chocolate in a slow, steady stream; mix until combined. Serve with dark-chocolate syrup.

CHOCOLATE SYRUP

Steps:

• Heat cream and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until mixture is combined. Add chocolate; stir until smooth. Remove from heat.
• Stir in brandy, if desired. Let sauce cool until thick but pourable. Just before serving, whisk until smooth.

RASPBERRY STRACCIATELLE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring cream and milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan. In a bowl, whisk together sugar and yolks until pale and thickened. Slowly whisk in warm cream mixture to sugar and yolks then return to the saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir continuously until mixture is slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Strain mixture into a bowl and place into an ice bath, stirring until cold. Remove from ice bath, whisk in raspberry puree until a pink color is formed and process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Melt white chocolate in a double boiler. Scrape the ice cream into a large metal bowl. Continuously drizzle in the melted white chocolate while stirring at the same time with a large spatula, until fully incorporated. Cover and place in the freezer until firm.

PEAR ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Combine milk, cream, and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat until small bubbles appear around the edge. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes.
• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook pears for 45 minutes, or until they make a thick sauce. Let cool a bit, then puree in a food processor or blender.
• Beat together egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl. Bring milk mixture back to a simmer, and whisk about 1 cup hot milk into egg mixture. Return to pan, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thick enough to coat the spoon, about 5 minutes.
• Stir puree into ice-cream base. Chill, then stir in brandy, if desired. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Store in an airtight plastic container up to 2 weeks.