Sweet Corn Ice Cream
This is one of those times when you just need to trust me. Ice cream flavored with sweet corn might sound odd to you, but it is really quite tasty. The corn flavor actually works very well when added to traditional ice cream ingredients like cream, sugar and eggs.
What a fun dessert to make for your next summer barbecue. You can even let people taste it to see if they can guess the secret ingredient!
I had heard of ice cream being made with corn before, but only tasted it recently. A cousin of mine made some and I was lucky enough to try it. It was really good. Corn ice cream is popular in Mexico, at least that is what I read.
I decided to make some of my own. It was perfect timing. I had some cream and half and half that needed to be used soon. I also had 2 ears of corn in the fridge. You can just cut the corn from the cob and add it to the recipe. That will leave you with kernels of corn in the finished ice cream. Nothing wrong with that. I pureed the corn mixture, because I wanted a smoother finished ice cream. Either is fine, based on your preference. I used 2 ears of corn- that was all I had. I could see adding another ear of corn for a more corny flavor. Frozen corn could also have been used.
Sweet Corn Ice Cream
2 ears sweet corn
1½ c. half and half
1 c. heavy whipping cream
¾ c. sugar- or a little more or less, to taste
4 egg yolks
1 t. vanilla
Scrape the corn kernels off the cobs and place in a medium saucepan. Add the half and half and the cream and bring to a simmer. You can leave the kernels as is, or puree the mixture at this point. I wanted a smoother ice cream, so I used my immersion blender to puree the corn in the pot. In a medium bowl, beat together the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Add ½ cup of the hot cream mixture to the eggs, whisking in well. Add another ½ cup of the cream mixture, whisking again. Add one last ½ cup of the hot cream and again, whisk until smooth. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the cream and while whisking, simmer until mixture starts to thicken and will coat the back of a spoon. This will take about 5 minutes. Don’t use too high a heat, or you will scramble your eggs. Mixture should reach 160 degrees to be sure eggs are cooked. Remove from heat and pour mixture into a bowl. Allow ice cream base to cool down, then chill in fridge. Chilled mixture can be frozen in an ice cream maker once cold- in a few hours- or even the next day. Once mixture has been frozen in ice cream maker, place in a container and freeze until ready to serve. Makes about 5-6 cups of ice cream.
