This homemade ginger ice cream is easy to love, but difficult to describe. The pairing of ginger and cream has an alluring vibe that makes me think of the best Thai food. The custardy texture is elegant and silky in a French-seeming way. It’s distinctive, and that uniqueness makes it something quite special and memorable.
Serve this to your foodie friends; they’ll rave about it for a week.
Ingredients
2¼ cups (1 lb. 3 oz.) heavy cream
1¾ cups (15 oz.) whole milk
1/2 cup (5 oz.) condensed milk
1-2 Tbs (7/8-1¾ oz.) honey
3¼ oz. chopped fresh unpeeled ginger (from a 4-inch piece)
1 cinnamon stick, or ½ tsp. powdered cinnamon
1 whole clove
7-8 large egg yolks
1/2 cup + 1 Tbs (3½ oz.) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (3 oz.) crystalized ginger, finely diced, plus more for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Put cream, milk, condensed milk, honey, and ginger into a medium-to-large saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat (setting 6 of 9) until it begins to simmer, about 5-6 minutes. Remove mixture from heat; cover, and let stand 1½ hours.
- Put yolks, sugar, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until yolk mixture has increased in volume and can hold a thick ribbon on surface for at least 2 seconds, about 3 minutes.
- Strain the cream mixture and discard the solids. Pour the cream into the egg mixture and whip at medium speed (4 of 10) until well combined. Transfer to a saucepot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and an instant-read thermometer registers 180°F, 5 minutes.
- Pour custard through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl. Let cool completely. Refrigerate for 4-12 hours.
- Freeze custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. (For my Cuisinart, that’s 30 minutes.) (Fold in the crystalized ginger.) Freeze in an airtight plastic container until ready to serve. If frozen for more than 12 hours, you may need to let ice cream stand at room temperature 10-15 minutes before scooping. (Garnish with chopped, crystalized ginger.)
Notes
- The condensed milk and honey both help to make the ice cream more scoopable, while having no impact on flavor – except perhaps to deepen the custardy backdrop. If you wind up with leftover condensed milk, it’s great in coffee.
Social Learning
I’ve designated the crystalized ginger in this recipe as optional, because on the one hand, the little pops of spicy ginger are a lovely contrast to the rich custard, while on the other hand, crystalized ginger packs such a powerful punch that it could shift your focus away from the beautifully unusual flavor of the ice cream per se.
You might consider stirring 1 tsp vanilla into the finished custard before refrigerating.
You don’t have to let the hot ginger mixture steep. Taste it and see what you think. I think it’s lovely after an hour. Two hours, I think, leaves it seeming too savory. But it’s really up to you. Remember though, the flavor will be muted once the mixture is frozen.
Since you’re going to strain it out, there’s no reason to peel the ginger.
Technically, this is a frozen custard, due to the high volume of eggs yolks, which distinguishes a custard from an ice cream. For this particular custard, six yolks is too few: although the custard will be creamy, it won’t be as creamy as I’d wish for. (Of course, since you’re probably not making this for me, then why would you care?) Once a six-egg version of custard has been in the freezer overnight, it will need a full half-hour on the countertop before its scoopable. And once it is scoopable, it’s delicious. Seven eggs will reduce that time to 10-15 minutes while also increasing creaminess. Eight is luxurious.
Ginger Ice Cream
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor. Thanks, Prosper Circle. References: Epicurious, Food Network, Fine Cooking, NYT.
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Sounds divine!
Anne recently posted…So Sad Some Fell Through___Not!
Thanks!
wow What a unique combination! I would love to taste some too. Definitely go for 8 eggs :-))
angiesrecipes recently posted…Spelt Emmer Sourdough Wholemeal Bread using a Scalding Method
I know! Eight seems excessive on paper, but it’s quite good in practice.
“The pairing of ginger and cream has an alluring vibe that makes me think of the best Thai food.” Jeff, I’m sold!
Awesome! Thanks!
I can bet on this being fabulous. Especially with the crystallized ginger included. Such good stuff!
Chef Mimi recently posted…Fattoush with Khubz
Thank you, Mimi!
Food fusion at its best! This French-Thai cuisine is calling my name. 🙂 Seriously, though, this sounds fantastic! I’ve never had ginger ice cream, but I love the sound of it. I bet it would go great with peach cobbler!!
David @ Spiced recently posted…Fresh Peach Salsa
You’re the second one to suggest that combination! I’ll have to try it.
What a unique ice cream Jeff! This sounds amazing. I love the addition of honey and condensed milk to help with scooping. And I can see how both would enhance the custard. 😋
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Thanks, Shannon!
I’ve made / tasted so many ice cream flavour variations, but I don’t think ginger was amongst them. Great stuff! Loving the addition of candied ginger, too.
Yeah, a bit different, but easy to imagine, since ginger lends itself so nicely to sweet things. Thanks, Ben!
Jeff,
I’ve never met an ice cream that I did not like- this ginger ice cream with cinnamon and clove sounds spicy and delicious especially the pieces of candied ginger (my favorite)
Judee recently posted…Crispy Baked Tofu in the Air Fryer or Oven
Well then, I think you’d love this.
Jeff – I love that you make all your ice creams with a custard. The chocolate was fabulous, and now I can’t wait to make the ginger. Yes, perfect after a Thai meal but I really can see it after any Asian meal, and on top of that peach pie I posted last week.
What an interesting combination that would be! I’m glad you tried the chocolate! And thanks for the vote of confidence on that.
Really, really interesting. I don’t recall ever having ginger ice cream (certainly haven’t made it myself), but I like the idea. A lot. This looks terrific — thanks.
John+/+Kitchen+Riffs recently posted…The Never Say Die Cocktail
I was so pleased with how this came out. It’s sort of mysterious and delicate. Really nice. Thanks, John!
This is beautiful. Crystallized ginger can always present challenges. I am thinking the cream, and honey really present a silky smooth texture-the ginger is softened up and melds with the cream, I love it!
Velva
You could do without the crystalized ginger. In fact, I think next time I make this, I will omit it.
For something that’s hard to describe, you did an amazing job. I’m sold! Really, it sounds amazing. 🙂 ~Valentina
Thanks, Valentina!
I usually stay away from recipes using a lot of eggs but I must say, your ginger ice cream intrigues me. We adore the flavour of ginger so I know I’d love this. Such a perfect dish for a summer’s day.
Eva Taylor recently posted…Muhammara
I know, it is a lot of eggs. But I’ll tell you, the texture just isn’t quite right without them.
I love the taste of ginger so I bet this would be fantastic. Creamy yet zesty… going to give this a try!
Frank | Memorie di Angelina recently posted…Carne cruda all’albese
Thanks, Frank!
When we lived in New Hampshire, there was an ice cream company that made ginger I cream that was only available at small ice cream stands. It was called “ginga” and was my favorite. I know I would enjoy yours.
Karen (Back Road Journal) recently posted…A Diagnosis Of Colon Cancer
Cool! Thanks, Karen!
i love ginger! up the coast from us (about an hour and a half away) there is the biggest ginger factory in the world (I think). It produces about half the world’s ginger!! we are lucky. This sounds wonderful Jeff.
sherry recently posted…Overnight Bread Made With 33 Cloves of Garlic!
Wow, a ginger factory! Does it smell like heaven?
from memory – no. i can’t remember any smell. haven’t been there for yonks though 🙂
sherry recently posted…Overnight Bread Made With 33 Cloves of Garlic!
Molto molto buono. Io faccio una salsa allo zenzero con la panna, vino ed 1 patata cotte e poi frullato. Questo gelato quanto prima lo preparo ma non per me ma per i miei io dolci non posso: glicemia alta.
Now, that sounds really unusual!
Bonjour ! .
Une crème glacée bien appétissante au gingembre je ne connait pas .
Je te souhaite un bon weekend .
Well, glad to introduce you to it, Jacques!
Sounds different than the usual ice-cream flavours, I must try this!