Honey Matcha Ice Cream
Dessert: Honey Matcha Ice Cream
Recommended Meal Pairings: Fried Salted Cod Cakes, Vietnamese-Inspired London Broil, Five-Spice Rabbit and Ricotta Ravioli with Morel Mushrooms and Spring Peas, Secret Garden Spring Rolls
It’s hard to go wrong with a good movie and ice cream. But when you’re looking for something other than chocolate or Rocky Road on movie night, perhaps this Honey Matcha Ice Cream will change things up. It’s a sweet addition to your Summer Recipe lineup, and since it’s matcha, this is basically a healthy ice cream, right?
One of my favorite beverages that I like to make at home or order at coffee shops (if they have them) is an iced matcha latte. I love when it’s cold and slightly sweet, and the matcha is quality. Matcha is a type of green tea made with finely ground young tea leaves, which is then typically mixed with hot water and enjoyed as a beverage. Unlike green tea, where you end up removing the sachet, you actually drink the matcha powder. The health benefits are also pretty amazing, so that’s a plus.
With ice cream, the tricky part is adding the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks. You want to slowly add in the hot liquid very slowly, so that the eggs don’t scramble. Use a whisk to mix the egg yolks while adding in a little bit of hot milk at a time. This takes patience, but it’s worth it. Do this part right and the rest is a breeze.
This recipe calls for a couple of tablespoons of matcha, but if you prefer a stronger matcha taste, add in three or four. Just keep in mind that adding too much matcha will make the ice cream more bitter. While it’s a treat to use ceremonial grade matcha (which is more expensive than culinary grade) in beverages, with ice cream it’s not necessary and the culinary grade is perfect.
I was inspired to add the honey because of a beverage at Din Tai Fung that I always order without fail: iced honey green tea. The honey makes the green tea extra sweet in a way that enhances the food, and it’s overall a refreshing beverage.
The result of this Honey Matcha Ice Cream is creamy and refreshing, with a matcha flavor that isn’t too overwhelming. With just matcha, the ice cream would be too bitter, but the honey balances the bitterness so that it is just sweet enough.
Honey Green Tea Matcha Ice Cream
Serves: 4-6 | Cooking time: 1-1.5 hours
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons matcha (Japanese green tea powder)
Method
Combine the heavy cream, whole milk, honey, and salt in a saucepan and simmer over low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and matcha until combined.
Very slowly pour the milk mixture into the egg yolks, a small amount at a time, whisking the egg yolk mixture quickly so that they don’t heat too much to the point where they cook and become scrambled. Do this until the egg yolk mixture is warm to the touch and enough milk has been added.
Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan and mix together with the remaining milk mixture.
Simmer the mixture over low heat until the mixture is nappe (when you lift the spoon out of the mixture, run your finger across it. If there is a streak and the mixture isn’t dripping into it, you’re good to go).
Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Refrigerate overnight or for four-five hours if you need it day-of. If you want to use it immediately, cool the liquid down in an ice bath by filling up a bigger bowl with ice and water. Place the bowl with the mixture in it and whisk, allowing it to cool down.
Once the custard has completely cooled, churn it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Once the mixture is churned to the point of thick ice cream, use a spatula to scoop the ice cream into a container. Put in the freezer to harden.
© A Dash of CinemaC
raving something other than matcha? Try Peanut Butter S'mores (Marshmallow!) Ice Cream or Lavender Earl Grey Ice Cream.