Recipe 22: Mint Julep Ice Cream (alcoholic)

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

It occurred to me last week that I had missed the Kentucky Derby (May 2)!  This was especially egregious as I live in Kentucky and thus should have spent my Saturday doing all things Derby including wearing a fancy dress and a giant hat and sipping on a mint julep made with certified Kentucky bourbon in it.  Alas, I love comic books and instead spent my Saturday hopping around various bookstores taking advantage of various sales.  I have no regrets.

But that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t get to take part in the time-honored tradition of consuming mint juleps.  And what better way to have one than as ice cream?

The Mint Julep Ice Cream recipe I used comes from my new stand-by, Coolhaus Ice Cream Book by Natasha Case and Freya Esteller.  It’s a wonderful recipe whose use of brown sugar (two kinds!) and cream helps temper the acerbic and biting taste of bourbon, making something truly delightful.  Unfortunately, I made a mistake and added in the bourbon too soon, preventing the ice cream from ever really setting so I can’t tell you what the texture is like.  I can, however, tell you that this is a magnificent ice cream that’s been pleasing friends and bourbon-lovers all week.  It’s been hard to keep it in the freezer!

So without any further ado, Mint Julep Ice Cream.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
• 8 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• ½ tablespoon dark brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup bourbon (I used Woodford Reserve, which is an excellent bourbon) 

Directions

1. In a 4-quart saucepan, combine milk, cream, and halfblogg of sugar.  Set over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil – about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk yolks and remaining sugar together until smooth, heavy, and pale yellow – about 30 seconds.
3. Temper the egg mixture by adding ½ cup of cream mixture in at a time (Add about 2 cups total in a smooth pouring motion.).  Then pour the egg-cream mixture back into the saucepan.
4. Return pan to stovetop over low to medium heat.  Whisk constantly.  The mixture should become slightly thickened and coat the back of the spoon (If you blow on the back of the spoon and the mixture ripples, you’ve got the right consistency.).
5. Remove the base from heat and stir occasionally while it cools.  Once it reaches room temperature, pour into a new container, cover, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
6. Once the base is chilled, remove from the fridge and add the chopped mint leaves, dark brown sugar, and salt.  Mix well.
7. Pour the base into an ice cream maker canister and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.  Add the bourbon during the last 2 minutes of churning (The ice cream should have set but not be completely firm.).
8. Once churned, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm – at least two hours.

The result is amazingly delicious.  Prior to adding the bourbon and mint, the base tastes like a crème brulee and would probably be delicious on its own.  The addition of the bourbon (especially if you’re using a good kind) helps deepen the flavor with the cream tempering the bourbon and vice versa.    It really just tastes exactly like an ice cream mint julep with that heady taste of bourbon predominant.  My only real complaint is that you don’t get much of a mint flavor.  The mint doesn’t really interact with the rest of the base, and in the churning process it clumps a bit (at least in my ice cream maker).  I’m not quite sure how to fix that at this point.  I’m reluctant to add mint extract because I don’t want it to take away from the brown sugar and bourbon though I might try boiling the leaves with the base at the beginning.  However, none of my friends complained about the lack of mint flavor – they were too busy gobbling up their ice cream.

 

So I think I’ve found my ice cream for next Derby Day.  Hopefully, I’ll remember to make it next time.

Enjoy!

Overview

• Base prep time: 30 minutes
• Base chill time: 12 to 24 hours
• Ice cream set time: at least 2 hours
• Taste: sharp bourbon flavor tempered by cream and brown sugar – incredibly sweet and flavorful
• Difficulty level: low to medium
• Expense level: medium
• Makes: approximately 6 cups