Maple Ice Cream

  This amazingly delicious Maple Ice Cream is the perfect way to welcome fall!!

So a few weeks ago I received a bottle of REAL maple syrup in the mail from Tonewood.  I have a thing for maple, especially real, honest to goodness, straight from the tree kind of maple syrup.  Maple syrup and Fall just go together.  The only thing was my calendar says it is Fall, it is October after all, but it was 80 degrees outside.  Here in Oregon it doesn’t usually reach 80 degrees until mid August and then it lasts into October.  Oregon is a bit confused.

So, what did I do with that maple syrup on an 80 degree October day?  I made ice cream and it was delicious!!

It was so delicious in fact I may have hidden it in the freezer in the garage and only shared a little with my husband and consumed almost all of it myself (not at one time.)  Good thing this recipe only makes 1 qt. instead of two!!

The other thing I learned while making the Maple Ice Cream was  about Grade A Maple Syrup vs. Grade B Maple Syrup.

Here’s the difference:

Grade A is the most popular, with a light maple flavor and a relatively thin consistency. It’s a good choice for pancakes, and can make a great topping for desserts and other foods. Grade A is usually made from the maple sap collected at the beginning of the mapling season.

Grade B maple syrup is much darker and has a stronger flavor. It also is a bit thicker, tending towards the consistency of pancake syrup rather than the runnier Grade A. Grade B is often recommended for baking because its stronger flavor comes through more readily, but it can be a better choice for pancakes or waffles than Grade A if you,  are a fan of the flavor of maple in general. The two are interchangeable as far as what will work in what.

For the ice cream I used Grade B – I wanted a nice strong maple flavor.

My friend Sherra, who is just as big of a maple fan as I am, sent me this recipe for Maple Gelato that she found over at Ezra Pound Cake.  Since I made it in my ice cream maker I am calling it Maple Ice Cream.  One of the main difference between ice cream and gelato is the amount of air in it.  Gelato is churned slower so has less air.  Since I used my ice cream maker and it was churned faster I am guessing I turned it into ice cream!  Either way – it is delicious!!

This recipe uses raw eggs so you have to temper the mixture.  It is a little more time consuming but not hard.  The mixture also needs to chill overnight so plan ahead.

Begin with mixing together the maple syrup and the egg yolks.

Next heat your milk and salt over medium heat and bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Whisking constantly pour 1/2 C of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture.  Don’t do it all at once because you don’t want to cook the yolks.  Cooked egg in your ice cream would be gross!

Then pour the warmed egg mixture back into the large saucepan with the rest of the milk.

Add the cream in and mix.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn until the mixture is thick enough to coat your spoon.

That spoon has gotten caught in the garbage disposal a few times!
Next you will pour the mixture through a mesh sieve to remove any lumps.

Let the mixture cool for about 20 minutes and then cover and put in refrigerator overnight.  The next day put in ice cream maker (I use a Cuisinart 2 qt.) and process.

After it is done, and I have taken a few bites I like to put it back in the freezer to “ripen” or harden up a bit.  I just cover the container it processed in and place in freezer or you can put it into a plastic container.

This ice cream is so good!For a little extra maple flavor drizzle the top with some more syrup.

My dad always said ice cream is good anytime – it fills in the cracks!

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Maple Ice Cream

Course Dessert

Author Leigh Anne

Ingredients

• 1 C maple syrup Grade B or darkest available
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 1/2 C whole milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 C heavy whipping cream

Instructions

• In a medium heat proof bowl mix together the maple syrup and egg yolks until light in color.
• Heat the milk and salt in a pan over medium heat.
• Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.
• Whisk constantly as you pour 1/2 c of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture.
• Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk.
• Add the cream.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spoon.
• Remove from heat.
• Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve over a container.
• Let cool for 20 minutes then cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Process in ice cream maker.