Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

I'm addicted of making ice cream.

Really.

I spent three quarter of a quart of whipped cream for making ice cream only. I don't have the ice cream maker, but I'm patient enough to do it with the freeze and beat method. It all worth with the outcome. You can never fail making ice cream.

Ok, that's a lie. My first ice cream was not a big success. In fact, it wasn't success at all.

And these one particular flavor, has been invading my mind ever since I tried the New Zealand Natural's cookies and cream. The ice cream simply vanilla flavor and Oreo cookies, but I never quite understand with the stupidly expensive price. It was Rp 30.000 per scoop! And I never came back... with the taste still linger in back of my tongue.

I don't use too much heavy cream in my recipe, but looks like it's not affecting the richness of the taste. Maybe it's the cream of the Oreo?


Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Recipe

Vanilla Ice Cream

• 300ml milk
• 200ml heavy cream (I use non dairy)
• 2 egg yolks
• 20gr cornstarch
• 75gr sugar
• 1 pod vanilla bean

Cookies

• 130 gr (1 pack) of Oreo cookies (coarsely chopped)
  

Instructions

1. Bring the milk, half the sugar, vanilla bean and the pod to a simmer on low heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Remove from heat.
2. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and remaining sugar with an electric mixer until the yolks begin to turn pale yellow and thickened. Add the cornstarch that diluted with small amount of water.
3. Using a whisk, mix one-third of the hot milk into the egg yolks then gently whisk this back into the remaining milk in the saucepan. Scrape until bottom of the bowl so the remaining sugar that hasn't dissolved...
   
4. Heat gently over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Do not allow mixture to boil. It is ready when the custard coats the back of the wooden spoon and you can run a track through it with your finger that won't disappear. Remove from heat and remove the vanilla pod.
5. Let it cool in a fridge for 1 hour or use ice bath while stirring occasionally so it won't curdling.
6. Beat the cold heavy cream until soft peak formed. Gently whisk in the milk mixture into the whipped cream.
   
7. Process in the ice cream maker or if don't have one, do the freeze-and-beat method.
8. Add crushed Oreo on the last beat or when the ice cream mixture is thick enough to hold the chunks and wont sink in the bottom of the container.
   

And no more cookies and cream ice cream for Rp 30.000 per scoop.

My Green Obsession

I tried to remember when was the last time I tried ice cream with green tea flavor. Is it Baskin Robbins (which is yuck by the way)? The J. Co green tea ice blended? Or Haagen Dazs? Or the one in Goota Restaurant? I don't know. I completely forget about it. All I know, ever since that day, every time I pass ice cream parlor, the 1st question is always, "Is there green tea ice cream?" Many of them says no, of course. In a small city like Malang, I can't hope that much. No harm done, because chocolate is never goes out of style.

If I can't buy one, then I have to make one. But there still one problem tho. The main ingredient; green tea powder, also not available in Malang. It started to get not funny. And finally, with my last vacation in Jakarta, where I can find (almost) everything I want for baking and cooking, I finally find that ridiculously expensive green powder.

Unlike any other ice cream I usually made, this time I decided to make custard-base. Just to try how it will turn out to be. At first the egg yolks is quite frightening me, because... heloow, it's egg yolk! But then again, it's not like I'm going to eat it raw and square. I got the original recipe from here, but I have to change the green tea measurement. Were I use the original recipe, that little bottle of green powder of mine will be empty right away.

Green Tea Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 2 egg yolks
• 6 tbsp sugar (use less if you want to make it a bit bitter)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2,5 tsp green tea powder
• 250 ml milk
• 200 ml heavy cream

Instructions

1. Dilute the green tea powder with 3-4 tbsp of hot water. Don't put too much water, or the green tea flavor will be less strong.
2. Beat in egg yolks and sugar until it's pale, then add the cornstarch that has diluted in water.
3. Heat milk a over medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge (not a boil!). Remove from heat.
4. Stir a third of the heated milk into the egg mixture, then pour it back together into the milk. This is tempering the egg mixture. Add the green tea liquid. Stir it back in medium heat until it's thick.
5. Let it cool in fridge or put the bowl on top of ice blocks to cool it in much quicker way. After it's completely cool, mix in the heavy cream. Stir thoroughly.
6. Pour the green batter directly into the ice cream maker.

I don't have that expensive ice cream maker machine, so I have to do more effort to make every ice cream I want.You know, the freeze and beat technique.

After the third beat, I pour the batter into a square pan. A little try to make the ice cream looks like ice cream cake.

I will never do this again. Scooping ice cream is much, much better than cutting it. Still taste yummy tho. It's just a matter of shape. So yummy I think I wanna make another batch. Oh! And a green tea cheese cake. That's definitely go into my agenda.