While “orange” is not typically thought of an ice cream flavor, I think there are plenty of us out there who remember having Orange Creamsicles throughout the summer. I think you can still get them at ice cream trucks if you can find the right truck. And while I liked the idea of re-creating the “creamsicle” I was trying to avoid the overly sweet flavor of my childhood.
In my quest to find new flavors of ice creams and to move beyond the traditional flavors we’ve already made and shared, I’m turning to citrus this summer. Starting with a simple base and avoiding the work required by custard style ice creams (it is summer after all) the plan is to keep it simple, light, flavorful and to see if some of the same savory food combinations for citrus work well with ice cream as well. I won’t divulge just yet what I’m planning, but I have a lot of basil growing and am always looking for uses beyond salad dressings and marinades.
In most of these recipes, the citrus flavor will come from the rinds of the fruits. There are two reasons for this. The first is that citrus and dairy typically don’t mix unless you are going with the custard style of ice cream. The second is that most of the flavor for the citrus fruits comes from the oil in the rind, not the juice. So far, by pulverizing the rind in a food processor with the sugar, we seem to be off to a good start. In the case of this recipe, I added some white chocolate chips to create a little of that nostalgia from the creamsicle.
Summer Sunshine Ice Cream
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
Zest from 1 large orange
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. orange extract
1 cup white chocolate chips
What’s Next:
Combine sugar and orange zest in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until zest is very small, about 15 seconds.
Place sugar in large bowl. Add milk and orange extract. Stir with a whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
Add heavy cream and stir until combined.
Pour liquid into the freezer bowl of an ice cream maker and turn on. Let run for 25-30 minutes or until the liquid is mostly solid. In the last 5 minutes of freezing, add the white chocolate chips.
Transfer to a plastic container and place in freezer for 6 hours.
Notes from my experience:
This ice cream has a true orange flavor without being overly sweet. I think cinnamon or clove or nutmeg (1/4 tsp.) could be added for a different dimension on flavor. It’s definitely not your typical ice cream, but it’s great on a hot summer day.
As far as I’m concerned, citrus and chocolate were made for each other. You could easily add chocolate chips or sprinkle with some shaved chocolate for fun.
While my kids are typically drawn to their favorite flavors like Mint Chocolate Chip and Cinnamon, this little bowl was emptied with no issues at all.
In the summer of 1963 I worked at a Carvel store on the north end of Times Square. Of all the ice creams we made and sold there, by far orange pineapple was my favorite. It was the summer of endless ice cream, and I met Emile Griffeth, who lived around the corner. The most gentle person with hands of stone that I ever met.