ice cream!

i know, it's cold out. maybe you don't want to think about eating ice cream till it's nice and hot, but i want you to start thinking about getting an ice cream machine now. it was easy for me to justify the purchase price of my ice cream machine, which was the equivalent in cost to 7 pints of my favorite gelato in philly. considering the best ice cream i can find here is Breyer's , it was a no-brainer.

when you make your own ice cream, you can obviously make any flavor you like, but you also get to control how rich it is (extremely), how sweet it is (i use half the sugar the recipes call for) , and you get to eat it when it's at the perfect temperature and texture. my main reference for ice creamy endeavors is The Ultimate Ice Cream Book by Bruce Weinstein. this book contains over 500 recipes, from your basic vanilla to one called Summer Savory with corn and thyme. most of the recipes are for the custard style (aka gelato) with a cooked egg and milk base that turns out an incredible rich and creamy creation.

every recipe i've tried has come out spectacularly - our favorites out of the book so far are apricot (extra rich because it calls for cream and half and half but no milk) and green tea (tea-ier and creamier than any i've had before - pictured above!). i've made up my own variations that also top our favorites list: raspberry pomegranate lime sorbet and cardamom rose.

the following recipe calls for dried apricots, which give you a much more intense flavor than fresh. we used the middle eastern apricot paste because it's what we had on hand - delicious. it also calls for corn syrup which i didn't use - i either substituted sorghum or made a simple syrup, can't remember. if you've got a machine, try this recipe and let me know what you think. if you don't, go get one and i'll be waiting to hear from you.

Apricot Ice Cream
makes about 1 quart

6 oz. dried apricots halves (about 1 cup, loosely packed)
3 T light corn syrup
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c sugar (you could use under 1/2 c and be happy)
4 large egg yolks
1 cup half and half
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 t. vanilla

cover the apricot halves with boiling water and let sit for an hour or until soft. drain and combine with the corn syrup and salt in a food processor. blend until very smooth.

in a medium bowl, beat the sugar into the egg yolks until they are thickened and pale yellow.

bring the half and half to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan. slowly beat the hot half and half into the eggs and sugar. pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly. be careful not to let the mixture boil or the eggs will scramble. remove from the heat and whisk in the apricot puree. pour the custard through a strainer into a large bowl. allow to cool slightly, then stir in the cream and vanilla. cover and refrigerate until cold.

freeze in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. share with people you love. they will love you back.