sweet corn ice cream.

There is something to be said for living in the suburbs (or in Upstate New York which the boy and I are currently fantasizing about moving to for the weekends).  The suburbs allow for space.  Outdoor space for a garden, indoor space for an actual dining room table (yes we are those people who eat Indian style on the floor until I find stools that fulfill all my fantasies), space for gadgets and gizmos that are unwieldy when you live in a shoebox sized but are completely necessary when you have a kitchen with more than 2 cabinets.  If we ever find ourselves in a place like that you can pretty much guarantee an ice cream maker will be purchased.  Yes it’s a novelty item but it’s such a fun one that it almost becomes practical.  My parents are blessed with space (even though they may tell you differently) which is why they possess a sausage maker, 4 different sized spring form pans, 3 different sets of dinner plates, and an ice cream maker. 

The last time I was home, I put the ice cream maker to use in an effort to tackle corn ice cream which I have been dreaming about since I had it a few summer’s ago at The Bent Spoon.  Corn ice cream which probably sounds absurdly yucky to some is amazing to me.  Its sweet and clean with an amazing creamy flavor.  It pairs beautifully with fruit especially berries which makes this an excellent end of summer dessert.  

Sweet Corn Ice Cream

Recipe via Melissa Clark at the NYTimes

Melissa serves this with a blackberry sauce.  I served mine with a cherry sauce that my awesome mom made.  Any fruit sauce would be incredible here as would homemade marshmallow crème (or maybe that’s just me…).  They key for this is the best corn possible.  Sweet farmers market corn is the (only) way to go. 

Makes 1 ½ pints

40 minutes, plus at least 5 hours’ standing, chilling and freezing

4 ears fresh corn, shucked

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

165 grams granulated sugar (about ¾ cup)

6 large egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup sour cream

Using a large knife, slice the kernels off the corn cobs and place in a large saucepan. Break cobs in half and add to pot along with milk, cream and 110 grams (1/2 cup) sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring, then remove from heat. Let stand to infuse for 1 hour, then discard corn cobs.

Using an immersion or regular blender, purée kernel mixture. Return mixture to a simmer, then turn off heat. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks, 1/8 teaspoon salt and another 55 grams ( 1/4 cup) of sugar. Add a cup of hot cream mixture to yolks, stirring constantly so they don’t curdle. Add yolk mixture to saucepan, stirring. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens enough to coat the spoon, about 10 minutes.

Pass custard through a fine sieve, pressing down hard on the solids. Discard solids. Whisk in sour cream until smooth. Let custard cool in an ice bath, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours.