Recipe 16: Chai Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream

Monday, March 30, 2015

            Wow, guys.  Just wow.

            This recipe for Chai Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream is one that my sister has been wanting me to make for a while now.  Unfortunately, purchasing all the requisite spices wasn’t really in my budget.  To be honest, it wasn’t really in the budget this week either, but what can you do?  It was time, and now I have a full spice rack ready for homemade chai and any number of Indian and Mediterranean dishes.

            This is an absolutely amazing recipe and one that I’m sure anyone will love – especially if you like chai tea.  The flavors of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove, star anise, and black pepper blend perfectly with every spoonful, and the crushed pink peppercorn adds a subtly after-taste of pepper that really just heightens the chai flavors.  Even when you get a small piece of peppercorn or star anise (I had to self-grind), it’s not over-powering or unpalatable – quite the contrary, actually.

            Its only possible drawback is that the spices are pricey and not necessarily easy to get.  I had to purchase the star anise and pink peppercorns from Amazon, and the ground cardamom was $7.99 – at 40% off.  Never fear, though, there is another way – just use a chai tea blend.  That should cut your spice budget from $40 to maybe $10 or $15.  Just make sure that you get a good blend that you like because that’s what you’re going to be eating.  The taste translates really well.

            The following recipe comes from ScoopAdventures: The Best Ice Cream of the 50 States by the amazing and incredibly talented Lindsay Clendaniel of the ice cream blog ScoopAdventures.  Keep expecting more recipes from her – there are dozens of great ones to choose from.

Ingredients

• Chai Spice Mix (unless you buy a pre-mixed one)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground star anise
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• Ice Cream Base
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 tsp tapioca starch
• 1 tsp whole pink peppercorn
• 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 ¼ tsp chai spice mix (either the above recipe or a pre-mixed one)
• ¾ tsp vanilla extract

* Note: Lindsay recommends using the excess chai spice mix (and there will be a lot if you’re using this recipe) in tea, hot beverages, on top of cereal, and in oatmeal.  You can also add it to cake batter or apple juice – or anything you think could pair well with it.

Directions

1. To prepare the chai spice mix, place all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.
2. To make the ice cream base, in a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of milk with the tapioca starch and set aside.  Crush the pink peppercorns using a mortar and pestle or heavy rolling pin; set aside.
3. Combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar, and chai spice mix in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat.  Bring the milk mixture to a low boil.  Cook until the sugar dissolves – 3 minutes.  (If you need to strain the mixture to remove spice chunks, do so now.  I didn’t, and I’m not wholly satisfied with the bits.)
4. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and gradually whisk in the tapioca starch mixture.  Return to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until the mixture is slightly thickened – about 1 minute.
5. Pour the base into a medium bowl and add the pink peppercorns.  Cool to room temperature.  Add the vanilla.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled – at least 4 hours or overnight.
6. Once chilled, whisk and pour the base into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm – at least 4 hours. 

            I absolutely love this recipe, and there’s a strong chance it’s my new favorite recipe.  It’s incredible.  The spices have that home-y, fall flavor that you associate with cinnamon and cloves, but the flavor isn’t as thin as chai tea or apple chai can be.  It’s a softer ice cream, so it melts quickly on your tongue and leaves you wanting more.  It could be a great companion to a hot drink like coffee or hot chocolate or a seasonal pie such as pumpkin, apple, or even sweet potato and is of such an even, delicious flavor that you can easily eat a pint in one sitting.  I absolutely recommend this ice cream, and I really hope some of you make it!  You won’t be disappointed.

Overview

• Base prep time: 15 – 30 minutes
• Base chill time: at least 4 hours (preferably overnight)
• Ice cream set time: at least 4 hours (preferably overnight)
• Taste: sweet and milky with a soft blend of spices and subtle aftertaste of pepper
• Difficulty level: low to medium
• Expense level: medium to high (depending on if you get the pre-made spice mix or not)
• Makes: 4 cups (1 quart)

** Note:  I am officially all caught up on recipes!  Expect recipes to come at the regular schedule (so the next one will post within the week).

*** Note: After eating more of this, I've noticed that the tapioca starch formed little chewy chunks in the ice cream.  Not sure why this happened, but I will investigate.  Stay tuned!