I don’t think of ice cream as a seasonal thing. Let me clarify: I do think of ice cream flavors as seasonal things, but ice cream, as a general and cardinal food group, is very much a year-round treat for me.
To give you an example, I have just returned from Deauville in Normandy, wherein I attended the Omnivore Food Festival, a two-day event during which new-generation chefs demonstrate their craft onstage, and artisan vintners present their wines.
And in between demos and discussions that added a good dozen names to my restaurant dream list*, I felt compelled to sneak out and visit Martine Lambert‘s ice cream parlor: the Paris location is included in my book, but this is the original shop, and a bit of a pilgrimage destination for ice cream devotees.
It being February, overcast and misty, let us say there wasn’t much of a line, yet I shed my mittens and dug into my cup of vanille paillettes de chocolat — vanilla with flecks of chocolate — and caramel au chaudron — caldron-cooked caramel — as I scampered back to the conference center. As the modern French expression goes, c’était une tuerie (~ it was killer). The caramel in particular, which had been pushed almost to the tipping point of bitterness: caramel should not be timid, and Martine Lambert certainly gets that.
This wintry ice cream fix suddenly reminded me of a truly rapturous ice cream I made some weeks ago and, inexplicably, failed to post about: it is a recipe for maple pecan ice cream, a French-style, custard-based ice cream flavored with maple syrup and studded with pecans. I hope you won’t be scared off by the word “custard”: I’ve included detailed instructions in the recipe below, and you will be fine, I promise. (I myself learned the technique for this type of ice cream in David Lebovitz’s ice cream book; surely you’ve noticed I refer to it again and again, so I trust you’ve acquired your own copy by now?)
It is a typical winter ice cream, cuddly and smooth, that I prescribe you make at least once before spring. I definitely will, seeing as I’ve received a box of all-natural maple goods from Brien in Quebec, and can’t wait to put them to good use.
* Especially Laurent Chareau’s Le Chat in Villechaud, Emmanuel Renaut’s Flocons de Sel in Megève, Mads Reflund’s MR in Copenhagen, Stefano Baiocco’s Villa Feltrinelli on the shores of the Lake Garda, and the Marcons’ green restaurant in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid.
Maple Pecan Ice Cream
– 240 ml (1 cup) milk (I used reduced fat, or lait demi-écrémé in French, because that’s what I have on hand to make yogurt)
– 1 tablespoon raw cane sugar
– 100 grams (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) crème fraîche or heavy cream
– 3 egg yolks
– 80 ml (1/3 cup) maple syrup, the darker the better
– 1 good pinch sea salt
– 75 grams (3/4 cup) pecans, coarsely chopped
Makes about 1/2 liter (1/2 quart).
Heat the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
While the milk heats up, put the cream in a medium mixing bowl with a pouring lip, and set a fine-mesh sieve over it.
Beat the egg yolks lightly in a second, heatproof medium bowl.
When the milk mixture is warm enough that you see steam rising from the surface, pour it very slowly into the yolks, whisking it in to prevent the yolks from cooking. Pour the whole thing back into the saucepan and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping the sides and bottom well, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon (i.e. if you draw your finger across the back of the spoon, it should leave a neat path).
Pour this mixture through the prepared sieve — this will remove any lumpy bit of egg from the custard — and whisk it into the cream. Add the maple syrup and salt, and whisk them in.
Put a half-dozen ice cubes in a larger bowl, nest the mixing bowl containing the custard in it, and pour cold water carefully into the larger bowl. (This is called an ice bath, and it helps cool liquids down more quickly, which is recommended for such egg-based mixtures.) Whisk the custard in the ice bath until cool, cover, and refrigerate until chilled. This can be prepared up to 12 hours ahead.
Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions, adding the pecans when the ice cream is almost set.
FAQs
Aside from being able to control/lessen the sweetness (most ice cream is way too sweet), an added benefit of using maple syrup was that the liquids did not need to be heated in order to dissolve the granulated sugar.
How to make ice cream more delicious? ›
Adding candy pieces, nuts or dried or fresh fruit to your ice cream can add a whole new flavor and texture dimension. Mix-ins should be small, around the size of a chocolate chip, so the ice cream maker can incorporate them into the frozen ice cream.
Does maple syrup taste good on vanilla ice cream? ›
MAPLE SYRUP FROM VERMONT ON VANILLA ICE REAM IS GREAT! Works on apple desserts as well as pear desserts, coffee ice cream, rum raisin but not on anything with chocolate. Thanks for the A2A. Putting maple syrup on ice cream is pretty standard in my family.
What can I use maple sugar for? ›
Granular Maple Sugar can be used in recipes in the same way as cane sugar is used. It can be used to sweeten drinks, top oatmeal or incorporated into a flavorful rub for meats. When using Granulated Maple Sugar in baking, it acts just like regular granulated sugar and can be creamed with butter for cookies and cakes.
What happens if you don't put sugar in ice cream? ›
“When you take out sugar, you're taking out a major part of the recipe,” Claus explains. “As well as providing sweetness, it affects freezing point and solid content, so really what you have to do is to replace one Ingredient with three or more ingredients.
How much maple syrup to replace sugar? ›
To replace white sugar with maple syrup in general cooking, it is ideal to use ¾ cup of maple syrup for every one cup of sugar. When it comes to baking, that same amount is used but also be sure to reduce the amount of overall liquid in the recipe by about three tablespoons for each cup of maple syrup substituted.
What is the secret to making ice cream very creamy? ›
When it comes to great ice cream, cold temperatures and speed are your friends: the faster you bring your base from liquid to solid, the creamier it'll be. In a 2-quart unit, a typical batch of ice cream will take between 18 and 25 minutes to churn.
What is the secret to good ice cream? ›
Here are some tips for making creamy, non-icy homemade ice cream: Use plenty of fat - A good ice cream base should contain ample fat, usually from dairy like cream, whole milk, or egg yolks. More fat means a smoother texture. Cook the base - Heating the ice cream base deactivates enzymes that can make ice cream icy.
What is the secret ingredient to ice cream? ›
The cream cheese helps create an ice cream with a denser, smoother texture. As explained by TASTE, cream cheese acts as a stabilizer in ice cream, preventing water from seeping out of the milk and cream as well as preventing the formation of ice crystals that detract from ice cream's creaminess.
What flavors compliment maple? ›
Although maple is lovely all year round, it's definitely best in comforting fall dishes. It plays well with other seasonal flavors — apple-maple and maple-cinnamon being classic combinations — but it also complements foods more commonly associated with savory dishes, like bacon or rosemary.
Simply put, maple cream is natural maple syrup boiled, cooled, and then stirred with no added ingredients. Maple butter is also a product that is created from maple syrup, but it has other ingredients (mainly butter) added into the mix. Generally, maple butter is created using two parts butter and one part maple syrup.
Does vanilla go with maple? ›
But what if there was a simple way to take maple syrup up a notch and add some seriously sweet and sophisticated flavor? The good news is that simply adding a vanilla bean to your bottle can do just that. That's right; infusing your maple syrup with a vanilla bean can take a bottle from average to extraordinary.
What's the difference between maple syrup and maple sugar? ›
It is commonly used as a natural sweetener for pancakes, waffles, and other foods. Maple sugar, on the other hand, is made by further boiling maple syrup until it crystallizes and forms granules. It has a texture similar to regular sugar and can be used in place of sugar in baking and cooking.
Is it better to sweeten with maple syrup or sugar? ›
As a natural sweetener, pure maple syrup contains more nutrients than table sugar and is therefore considered a healthier alternative to table sugar. However, it's still high in sugar, and like any sweetener should be enjoyed in moderation. That said, if you are to pick one, pure maple syrup is the natural choice.
Is maple sugar healthier than honey? ›
Another advantage of honey over maple syrup is that honey offers more vitamins — B-6 and C — while maple syrup lacks this vitamin profile. But what maple syrup lacks in vitamins, it makes up for in minerals. Maple syrup offers more iron, calcium, zinc, and potassium than honey does.
Is maple syrup good in ice cream? ›
Maple ice cream carries all the dark, moody complexities of maple syrup, but in a more versatile form. It's a quick dessert on its own, an impressive pie topper, and—a hint—it's awesome on French toast.
Do people put maple syrup on ice cream? ›
Put two scoops of caramel swirl ice cream in a bowl. Crumble a few ginger snaps over it or place on the side for scooping. Pour some Cinnamon and Vanilla Infused Maple Syrup over the ice cream then top with whipped cream.
Which sugar substitute is best for ice cream? ›
I have made ice cream with Xylitol, and it is the only sugar substitute that I currently recommend for making ice cream. There are a couple of things to consider, however. Xylitol granules are much larger than sugar granules, so you will need to heat your milk and stir it into the Xylitol until it is fully dissolved.
Can you replace sugar in ice cream? ›
Yes, artificial sweeteners can be used in place of sugar in ice cream recipes. Some suitable options include aspartame, sucralose, and stevia. However, it is important to note that different sweeteners have different levels of sweetness, so the quantity used may vary depending on the specific sweetener being used.
