Creole Cream Cheese Ice Cream

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Ice cream maker with frozen bowl
• •Heavy-bottomed saucepan (2-quart)
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Instant-read thermometer (optional)
• •Freezer-safe container with lid

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the cream cheese

   Bring your Creole cream cheese to room temperature, about an hour on the counter. Cold cheese will seize when it hits the warm custard, leaving you with grainy ice cream instead of silk. While it warms, set up an ice bath in a large bowl: fill it with ice and a cup of cold water. Nest a medium metal bowl inside and set a fine-mesh strainer over it. This is your safety net.

   If you can't find Creole cream cheese, mix 8 ounces of whole-milk ricotta with 8 ounces of sour cream. It's not the same, but it captures that tangy freshness.
2. 2

   Heat the dairy

   Combine the heavy cream, milk, and half the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Set it over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. Watch for tiny bubbles forming around the edges and wisps of steam rising from the surface. You want it hot but not boiling, around 170 degrees if you're checking. This takes about five minutes.

3. 3

   Prepare the yolks

   While the dairy heats, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar in a medium bowl until pale and slightly thickened, about two minutes of steady whisking. The mixture should fall in ribbons when you lift the whisk. This dissolves the sugar and begins building the custard's silky texture. Add the salt here too.

   Save those egg whites. They freeze beautifully for meringues or add them to your morning scramble.
4. 4

   Temper the eggs

   Here's where patience pays off. Ladle about half a cup of the hot cream into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. This raises their temperature gradually. Add another ladle, still whisking. Now pour the warmed yolk mixture back into the saucepan in a slow, steady stream, whisking the whole time. Rush this step and you'll have sweet scrambled eggs. That's the bayou way: slow down and pay attention.

5. 5

   Cook the custard

   Return the saucepan to medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom and corners where eggs like to cook first. The custard is ready when it thickens enough to coat the back of your spoon and holds a line when you draw your finger through it. This takes six to eight minutes. Do not let it boil or you will curdle the eggs.

   If you have an instant-read thermometer, you're looking for 170 to 175 degrees. But your grandmother didn't have a thermometer. Trust the spoon test.
6. 6

   Strain and cool

   Immediately pour the custard through the strainer into the bowl set over ice. The strainer catches any bits of cooked egg, and the ice bath stops the cooking instantly. Stir the custard occasionally as it cools, which takes about fifteen minutes. You're looking for the mixture to be cool to the touch, not just warm.

7. 7

   Blend in the cream cheese

   Add the room-temperature Creole cream cheese, vanilla, and lemon juice to the cooled custard. Whisk until completely smooth, breaking up any lumps. The lemon juice brightens the tanginess that makes this ice cream special. Taste it now. The base should taste slightly too sweet, as freezing dulls sweetness. Adjust if needed.

   A few pulses with an immersion blender ensures perfect smoothness, but vigorous whisking works fine.
8. 8

   Chill thoroughly

   Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least four hours, or overnight. The colder the base, the faster it churns and the smoother your ice cream. Overnight is better. The flavors marry and deepen.

9. 9

   Churn the ice cream

   Pour the chilled base into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's directions, usually twenty to twenty-five minutes. The ice cream is ready when it looks like soft-serve and holds its shape when you lift the paddle. It should mound rather than pour.

   Freeze your ice cream maker bowl for at least 24 hours before churning. A properly frozen bowl makes all the difference.
10. 10

    Freeze to firm

    Transfer the soft ice cream to a freezer-safe container, pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Freeze for at least four hours until firm but scoopable. The ice cream will keep for two weeks, though it's rarely around that long. Let it sit at room temperature for five minutes before scooping for the creamiest texture.

Chef Tips

• •Creole cream cheese is available at specialty grocers and some Louisiana markets. Mauthe's Dairy and Smith Creamery both ship it. The real thing is worth seeking out.
• •The ice cream base actually improves after 24 hours in the refrigerator. The proteins relax and the flavors meld. Make it the day before you plan to churn.
• •Serve this with fresh Louisiana strawberries, a drizzle of cane syrup, or alongside a slice of pecan pie. At the restaurant, we pair it with warm bread pudding and let the cold cream melt into the warm custard.
• •If your finished ice cream seems icy rather than creamy, your base wasn't cold enough before churning. Next time, give it the full overnight rest.

Advance Preparation

• •The custard base can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before churning. In fact, it benefits from the extended chill.
• •Finished ice cream keeps for 2 weeks in the freezer, though texture is best in the first week.
• •If making for a dinner party, churn the ice cream the morning of and let it firm in the freezer. It will be perfect by dessert time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 120g)