It’s summer. It’s hot. And I’m all out of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream (always a sad event). At the grocery store, I was tempted to simply pick up another one of their cartoonish pints and call it a day… but I didn’t. What type of foodie would I be if I never make my own ice cream from scratch? For the longest time I didn’t own an ice cream maker, so I didn’t feel guilty in turning to my friends Ben and Jerry or their buddy Breyer for my ice cream cravings. Now that my machine finally arrived in the mail, I decided to get in the kitchen and give it a whirl.
I came back from the Middle East with lots of goodies that would make any foodie swoon. One of my greatest treasures is a small bottle of pure rose water that I had bought at an Aleppan souq. Although ice cream isn’t a traditional Middle Eastern dessert, Arabs make plenty use of their rose water. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for ladies to dab some behind their ears and use it as a fragrant perfume. I, on the other hand, knew exactly what to do with my rose water!
I aimed for an unadulterated rose flavor that wasn’t too overwhelming, but that left a note of intrigue with every bite. To achieve this, I made a very simple ice cream custard out of milk, cream, egg yolks and sugar and added a 1/4 tsp of rose water at the very end (before pouring the mix into the machine). Depending on the brand and intensity of your rose water you might choose to add a bit more or less. Also note that the flavor will only intensify as the temperature drops, so make sure to add just shy of what your taste buds consider appropriate.
I don’t particularly like adding red food coloring to my ice cream because I feel that it gives it an unnatural look. Sort of like that alien green color most brands use to distinguish their mint chocolate chip ice cream flavor. Hopefully this trend will change soon!
This ice cream hit home for me. Although the vehicle for the rose flavor was not traditional, the undertone of the rose water brought back memories of the delicate Middle Eastern sweets I enjoyed on my trip. With a bold flavor like rose, a small scoop is perfect for that post-meal indulgence or a refreshing snack. This is certainly not the type of ice cream you want pile into a massive bowl and eat your way through while watching a Law & Order marathon.
Granted, it does take some work time to crank out a homemade batch, but you will continue to reap the rewards for however long you can resist the ice cream sitting in the ice box. If you do make this flavor at home, consider sprinkling toasted pistachios or almonds on top. I tried it after having photographed these, and fell in love with the flavor combination.
Rose Ice Cream
(yields approx. 1 pint)
Components
- 400 ml milk
- 200 ml cream
- 125 g sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- rose water, to taste
Putting them all together
- In a medium saucepan, bring cream, milk and sugar to a boil.
- Whisk egg yolks and continue whisking while slowly incorporating the hot cream mixture. This step is called tempering the yolks.
- Strain the mixture and add back to the saucepan. Cook on medium heat until the mixture coats the back of the spoon.
- Cool the mixture in an ice bath, add the rose water and pour into your ice cream maker.
- Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker and store in the freezer until ready to eat.
Tony, looks yummy! I have yet to make my ice cream this summer (and my son reminded me just last night we are supposed to be making it!). There is nothing better than fresh churned ice cream right out of the ice cream freezer…….well, maybe home made fudge sauce on top of that ice cream!
Yea…how about you try home made hot fudge next? I know of a certain roomie who eats the stuff by the spoon..er who am I kidding…jar full 🙂
Ahahaha, you kill me! Other than a well-orchestrated ice cream pic, your sense of humour is GOLD—-> your cooking Cosmo! lol
Ah now that is a very sexy ice cream with some sexy plating to match.
Gorgeous! I also love your cooking Cosmo, hehe.
Beautiful and sexy and sublime! ME want some!!!! Really lovely looking, I bet it tastes divine.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. 🙂
wOW, look in here. What a blog. I am happy I showed up , finally. Love the cooking cosmo, could use a sip right now 🙂
I came here through What´s For Lunch, Honey? I am hosting an event dedicated to trying foods from other bloggers. Meeta is in the spotlight for July. I really hope you can participate 🙂
Rosewater ice cream is delicious and yes, very sexy! Haha, I hadn’t thought of it’s sexiness before. 😉
Sexy indeed. Is that gorgeous or WHAT? I’m so happy that you 1) got your ice cream machine and 2) made something so beautiful with it! My dream is to someday make rose petal gelato (but I need to get my hands on some organic rose petals which isn’t so trivial for me). You rock, sweetie!
I love that you took a chance and it turned out well. I think the flavor combination sounds really refreshing. Your photos truly do it justice.
Antonio ~ I am in whole-hearted agreement when it comes to fake coloring. That said, I have been known to add two drops to my homemade mint ice cream (a sweet, pale green, though – not fluorescent!) I’m visiting my partner in the US in a few weeks’ time and plan to make this ice cream (he has been holding the ice cream maker hostage). I will also make my favorite chocolate ice cream, which is a Marcella Hazan recipe popularised by Nigella Lawson in “How To Eat”. Mmmm…ice cream….
HoneyB – You should make blueberry ice cream with all those blueberries you just picked. Your hot fudge sauce comment though got my roomie bugging me to make fudge for her, haha.
Raquel – I will make your fudge sauce soon… I promise!
Peter – haha, thanks!! Who said anything about a sense of humor? 😛
Mike – Thanks!!
Elle – it makes cooking more exciting than it already is…. although it does make taking photos more difficult.
Ann – Thanks!! It was divine – I just had the last bit today, sadly.
Zlamushka – Thanks for stopping by!! I will try my best to participate in your event; Meeta’s blog is great!
Ari – Riiight? Gotta love sexy desserts : )
Jen – If I go back to the Middle East I’ll be sure to grab you some! Or if any of my family members go, I’ll pass on the request! With rose petals the ice cream will take on a natural rose hue, too (and I love that!)
Erubb – Thanks! The ice cream is very strong, but I found that 1 small scoop does the job!
Shaun – Hmm… I think I can live with a sweet, pale green for mint ice cream : ) Nigella is amazing!! I hope you two enjoy making that delicious chocolate ice cream – don’t forget to blog about it!
OMGawd. OMGAWD! Tony. Is it possible to be in love with ice cream? Because I think I am.
I’m drooling. I don’t know if that’s sexy, but I’m after this sexy ice cream!
Tony, this one is certainly sexy! Delicious ice cream an beautiful photos!
You’ve got a nice blog here. Great job!
This looks amazing… really delicate sounding. The pictures are stunning.
Antonio, this is such a delicate, beautiful ice cream. I really love the flavors here and your photos are stunning!
What a fascinating dessert! Lovely pics!