Ginger Ice Cream, Again 薑汁雪糕,捲土重來

If you are one of my friends who have tried the black sesame ice cream and raved about it, you would scream about this new ginger ice cream. My previous black sesame ice cream recipe is easy and simple with no cooking involved yet is creamy and easy to scoop. This recipe involves a little bit of cooking and more ingredients. This little extra effort is worth it; it results in minimal ice crystal formation, and therefore creamier and silkier ice cream.



Jeni Britton Bauer, owner of eight ice cream stores in Ohio, wrote "Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home". Besides having numerous recipes in her cookbook, she explains the science of making ice cream and how each ingredient works with one another. It is very educational and I don't feel like I'm mechanically following the recipe at all but learning the reasons behind.

Using her recipe for making the ice cream base, I invented my own flavor--ginger ice cream. My previous recipe is a custard base that uses egg yolks but this one does not include egg yolks and less heavy cream is used. Two different approaches, one same good taste!

自從我與一些朋友分享過自製的黑芝麻雪糕後,得到很多正面的回應,口碑載道,有些更特别去購買雪糕機,要自己在家做。我想今次這個新食譜會得到更多回響。上次的食譜,十分容易,材料簡單,不用烹調。今次這個食譜需要烹調,材料也多了些防止水份結冰的原料,所以做出來質地更加幼滑、细緻。

此食譜出自 Jeni Britton Bauer 的書 "Jenis: splendid ice creams at home"。作者除了編寫了很多食譜外,她更詳細地解釋做雪糕的科學原理,使我茅塞頓開,不只是機械式地跟着食譜做,给我的感覺與其他食譜是完全不同。

今次我用了她的基本做法,加上自己的創意,做成薑汁雪糕,與上次的食譜 不同,不用蛋黃,也少了奶油,兩種不同做法,同一樣好味!

Ingredients to make about 1 quart
2 cups whole milk 全脂牛奶
1 1/4 cups heavy cream 奶油
1 tbsp+1 tsp cornstarch or tapioca starch 玉米粉或木薯粉
3 tbsp softened cream cheese 奶油芝士
1/8 tsp fine sea salt 海鹽
120g/ 2/3 cup sugar 糖
2 tbsp light corn syrup 玉米糖漿
150-200g fresh ginger, grated 新鮮薑,磨成蓉


1)  Take about 3 tbsp milk and mix with the cornstarch or tapioca starch in a small bowl. Set aside.
2)  Put the grated ginger, the rest of the milk, heavy cream, sugar and corn syrup in a large pot. Bring to a steady boil for 4 minutes without covering it. Remove from heat.
3)  In another large bowl, hand whisk cream cheese with salt.
4)  Add the cornstarch slurry to the boiled milk mixture, stirring constantly. Return to heat for a minute with constant whisking.
5)  Pour a little of the hot milk to the cream cheese. Whisk until you have no lumps, then gradually pour in the rest.
6)  Strain out the ginger. Let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
7)  Churn in an ice cream machine, following the manufacturer's instruction. (Option: serve with crystallized ginger chips)

Notes:
The amount of ginger can be adjusted according to your own taste. But adjusting the amount of sugar is not recommended. The addition of corn syrup will require a reduction of the amount of sugar in the recipe. The ability of glucose in corn syrup to bind with water molecules is greater than sucrose from the white sugar, resulting in less ice crystal formation.

先將約三湯匙的奶與玉米粉在一小碗内拌勻。將薑蓉、其餘的奶、奶油、糖及玉米糖漿放一大鍋內煑滾,不加蓋煑四分鐘,熄火。將玉米粉漿加入,邊加邊攪,再開火煑一分鐘。在另一大碗內,將奶油芝士與鹽攪至鬆軟,將熱的奶慢慢倒入,邊倒邊攪,用隔籬隔去薑渣,待冷後放雪柜至少四小時或過夜。倒入雪糕機內攪成雪糕。食時可以加入薑糖。