Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Blackberry Raspberry Swirl
Second Chances
The first corn ice cream I made was from Humphrey Slocombe's Ice Cream Book. Unfortunately, the recipe had an error. At the time, I was fairly new to ice cream making, so I faithfully followed the recipe. These days, after making more than a hundred quarts of ice cream, I'm pretty sure I would have stopped dead in my tracks upon reading "add three teaspoons of salt". Needless to say, when my guests and I eagerly dug into Sweet Summer Corn Ice Cream, our taste buds rudely informed us it was really Salty Summer Corn Ice Cream. After that maddening debacle, I lost all interest in making corn ice cream.
Cut to the present, five years later. In searching thru my recipe archive for an apple dessert, I ran across Jeni Britton Bauer's recipe for Sweet Corn and Black Raspberry Ice Cream. I'd made several of her ice creams and liked them, though I would occasionally mutter under my breath about the number of pots, dishes and utensils required using her method. Bauer's ice creams do not contain eggs. Instead, she thickens her base with cream cheese and a cornstarch slurry; kinda unorthodox, but it works.
But the main reason I decided to take the plunge was I happened to have a lot of fresh corn on hand and I needed ways to use it up. While making it, the memories flooded back and I was reminded all over again that I'd be doing a lot of dishes afterwards, even more so because this recipe calls for a berry sauce. In my cooking notes, I wrote in a slightly miffed voice, "If I ever make this again....."
Well, guess what? I WILL be making this again. This is one of the most sublime, luscious ice creams I've ever had. With the very first spoonful, I was won over by its creaminess and the delicate sweet corn flavor shining through. The colorful blackberry/raspberry sauce provided a nice tart counterpoint as well as making this ice cream a knockout, looks-wise. I'm so happy I gave corn ice cream a second chance!
Notes about the recipe:
Bauer calls for black raspberries (which are different from blackberries). If you can't find black raspberries - and they can be hard to find depending on where you live - you can use raspberries and/or blackberries. If you use blackberries, mash them in the saucepan before you begin cooking them. This is because blackberries have a white core that takes longer to cook down and soften. Afterwards, mash again to make sure there are no solid bits. This will help during the sieving step.
It's best to use fresh ears of corn. Tip for slicing kernels off the cob: lay a large kitchen towel over your cutting board, then cut the kernels off the cob onto the towel. This will corral them onto the towel and make it easy to transfer into the saucepan.
After slicing the kernels from the cob, Bauer has you "milk" the corn cobs by scraping the back of a knife down the cob and extracting all the flavorful "juices". Do this directly over the saucepan (carefully) so you capture every bit of corn goodness!
After making the ice cream base, I recommend mashing the corn in the saucepan before you sieve. I followed Bauer's instructions to first sieve into a bowl and then press the kernels to extract as much liquid as possible, but found it hard to get any leverage pressing against a curved, yielding surface.
I also skip pouring the hot mixture into a ziploc bag and dunking into an ice bath. This step allows you to churn the ice cream pretty much immediately after you've made the base. However, since I'm not generally in a hurry, I just chill my base in the refrigerator overnight and churn the next day.
Bauer calls for black raspberries (which are different from blackberries). If you can't find black raspberries - and they can be hard to find depending on where you live - you can use raspberries and/or blackberries. If you use blackberries, mash them in the saucepan before you begin cooking them. This is because blackberries have a white core that takes longer to cook down and soften. Afterwards, mash again to make sure there are no solid bits. This will help during the sieving step.
It's best to use fresh ears of corn. Tip for slicing kernels off the cob: lay a large kitchen towel over your cutting board, then cut the kernels off the cob onto the towel. This will corral them onto the towel and make it easy to transfer into the saucepan.
After slicing the kernels from the cob, Bauer has you "milk" the corn cobs by scraping the back of a knife down the cob and extracting all the flavorful "juices". Do this directly over the saucepan (carefully) so you capture every bit of corn goodness!
After making the ice cream base, I recommend mashing the corn in the saucepan before you sieve. I followed Bauer's instructions to first sieve into a bowl and then press the kernels to extract as much liquid as possible, but found it hard to get any leverage pressing against a curved, yielding surface.
I also skip pouring the hot mixture into a ziploc bag and dunking into an ice bath. This step allows you to churn the ice cream pretty much immediately after you've made the base. However, since I'm not generally in a hurry, I just chill my base in the refrigerator overnight and churn the next day.
Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Blackberry Raspberry Swirl
Adapted from Jeni Britton Bauer's recipe in Food 52 Genius Recipes by Kristen Miglore
Makes approximately 1 quart
First, make the sauce by combining in a small saucepan:
2 cups (300g) black raspberries, raspberries and/or blackberries
1 cup (200g) sugar
If using any blackberries, mash fruit in the saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil. Continue boiling and stirring frequently until it reaches 220°F/105°C (5-8 minutes). Mash again to get rid of any solid bits of blackberry core. Cool slightly, then force thru a sieve into a small bowl. This will remove any seeds. If you don't mind seeds, you can skip this step. Refrigerate until cold before using.
To make the ice cream base, in a medium bowl, combine and whisk with a fork until smooth:
1 1/2 ounces (45g/ 3 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Set aside.
Next, place in a small bowl:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Measure out:
2 cups whole milk
From the 2 cups of milk, remove 2 tablespoons and combine with the cornstarch to make a slurry. Set aside. You now have a bowl with the cornstarch slurry and a bowl with the cream cheese/salt mixture.
Pour the remaining milk into a 4-quart (3.8L) saucepan. To it, add:
1 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy cream
2/3 cup (135g) sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Kernels from 1 ear sweet corn
Any corn juices and bits from "milking" cob (see Notes above)
Bring contents of saucepan to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and using a potato masher, crush the corn kernels releasing their sweet juices. Sieve into a bowl, pressing the kernels with the back of a spatula to get as much flavor out of them. Discard the remaining skins.
Return the strained mixture to the saucepan and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. You should be able to leave a trail on the spatula when you run a finger thru the mixture. Remove from heat.
Gradually whisk in about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese. Whisk until smooth. Then add this back into the saucepan and whisk to incorporate with the rest of the mixture. At this point, if you are in a hurry to churn, pour the ice cream base into a 1-gallon (3.8L) Ziploc freezer bag, seal and submerge in an ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary until cold, about 30 minutes.
Alternatively, you can leave the ice cream base in the saucepan, place a paper towel or towel over the top (make sure it doesn't touch the ice cream base) and cover with a lid. The towel absorbs any steam preventing condensation from dripping back into the base. Refrigerate overnight.
When the ice cream base is thoroughly chilled, churn according to your ice cream manufacturer's instructions. Pack ice cream into a freezer-proof container, alternating it with layers of the berry sauce, ending with a spoonful on top. Do not mix. Press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface and seal with airtight lid. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
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