Winter Ice Cream Extravaganza.

November 12, 2007 12:40 PM

Cold-weather ice cream suggestions/recipes?

I want a whole new palette of ice cream flavors that are perfect for cold weather, use seasonal fruits/ingredients, or are perfectly (or suprisingly) paired with other cold-weather foods and beverages. Bonus points for recipes that allow me to make or blend them myself.

I'm NOT really looking for the sort of seasonal gingerbread/peppermint/pumpkin flavors that the regular brands march out over the holidays. These tend to be sticky sweet and incredibly obvious. I'd prefer complexity of flavor to mere sweetness, which is where pairings might come in handy.

This question was inspired by Vosges' Naga flavor, a curry and coconut custard, which is so buttery that it alternates between sweet and salty on the tongue. I'd love to find a way to approximate it.

Inspire, challenge, and surprise me.

posted by hermitosis to food & drink (27 comments total)

This question was inspired by Vosges' Naga flavor, a curry and coconut custard, which is so buttery that it alternates between sweet and salty on the tongue. I'd love to find a way to approximate it.

That is the exact flavor I was going to suggest before I got to the end. That ice cream is so delicious, there are no words to describe it.

The Freeze on south beach makes Maize and Jalapeno ice cream. I don't think you can get it anywhere other than their stores, but you could probably easily make it yourself.
posted by necessitas at 12:51 PM on November 12, 2007

When I make ice cream I avoid too many flavors, so I wouldn't see anything wrong with going for a subtle pumpkin, maybe with ginger? It would be distinct but seasonal. Now you've got me excited. Also, nutmeg is a little overused this time of year, but it's way underused as a primary ingredient, IMO. I've always wanted to try a stout ice cream, and I made my wife a cherry and red wine ice cream not long ago. It went over well, but needed way more sugar then you're going for. I've seen recipes for garlic ice cream, which is supposed to go well as a side rather than dessert. I've also always wanted to do an apple-and-parmesan thing, but I'm not sure how to incorporate parmesan. I suppose you could substitute mascarpone, but it's not the same.

You're going to make my wife hate me.
posted by monkeymadness at 12:57 PM on November 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

Also, this article might interest you.
posted by necessitas at 12:57 PM on November 12, 2007

monkeymadness: Perhaps a scoop of good apple ice cream, rolled into a ball and dusted with parmesan?
posted by hermitosis at 1:16 PM on November 12, 2007

Forgive if this is snarky, but ALL ice cream is good in "cold weather."
posted by ethnomethodologist at 1:36 PM on November 12, 2007

The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory has some good seasonal flavors, including pumpkin pie. For some reason, the corn gelato at Cones on Bleecker Street is particularly appealing to me during cold weather.
posted by saladin at 1:38 PM on November 12, 2007

I'll shoot you a few...

-Cranberry/White Pepper
-Gin Milk Punch (Juniper Berry simple syrup and Nutmeg)
-Rum Raisin, for a traditional option.
-Rompope, similar.
-Chipotle/Cherry
-Pomander! Ooooh, carmelized orange rinds in a clove flavored cream. (Orange caramel and black pepper sounds good, too. But look at me, again with the pepper.)
-Christmas Rose (I'm thinking a fair rose/cardamom shelled in dark chocolate)
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 1:45 PM on November 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

coffee flavored ice cream!!! yummm...
posted by kowboy at 1:52 PM on November 12, 2007

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

I've only had the Bi-Rite version.
posted by lannanh at 1:58 PM on November 12, 2007

Hot chocolate ice cream (aka "cold chocolate") was a big hit at one of the big state fairs a couple years back. If you added some cinnamon and other spices, it would be similar to those fancy "mayan chocolate" hot chocolate blends that they serve in cafes.

You can't go wrong with booze. Seriously.

Some ideas:

- Egg nog (I know it's seasonal, but could be amazing if you included some brandy flavoring and cinnamon/nutmeg.

- Liqueurs like Baileys, Kahlua, Amarula, Voyant Chai, amaretto or Frangelico, chambord.

- Hot buttered rum. Heck yes!

I love booze.
posted by SassHat at 3:23 PM on November 12, 2007

Something citrus? What about blood orange or clementine?
posted by sugarfish at 3:24 PM on November 12, 2007

SassHat, the trouble with using booze in ice cream is what alcohol does to freezing temperatures. It's doable, but not straightforward. You can fake it, though, with things like coffee (Kahlua), hazelnut (Frangelico), almond (amaretto), etc. Incidentally, anyone got a beer ice cream recipe for me?
posted by monkeymadness at 3:40 PM on November 12, 2007

apple pie flavor with little bits of walnut and shredded, very sharp cheddar.
posted by thinkingwoman at 4:07 PM on November 12, 2007

You can get a dark-chocolate/chilli ice-cream (or make it using regular dark choc ice-cream) - perfect on the bitter/sweet, hot/cold front. Addictive.
posted by ninazer0 at 5:50 PM on November 12, 2007

Pomegrante
posted by 6:1 at 5:57 PM on November 12, 2007

There's always making an ice cream float with hot apple cider or hot chocolate. Not sure if that's exactly what you're asking, but seasonally delicious none the less.
posted by fermezporte at 6:32 PM on November 12, 2007

You could try making Pfeffernüsse ice cream, with light brown sugar, vanilla, lemon, anise, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and cloves.

Or you could crack up some pizzelle (those thin Italian waffle-like cookies) and incorporate them into a mildly anise-flavored ice cream.

There's gotta be a way to approximate the classic dense fruitcake with raisins and citron but I don't see why anyone would want to.
posted by breezeway at 6:54 PM on November 12, 2007

Oh, you might want to make the Pfeffernüsse ice cream extra buttery.
posted by breezeway at 6:57 PM on November 12, 2007

I haven't tried it, but I'd imagine you could use stout (or any alcoholic liquid) by heating it for a while to evaporate the alcohol and make a reduction.
posted by contraption at 7:07 PM on November 12, 2007

Monkeymadness, Ben and Jerry's used to have a flavor called Black and Tan (cream stout ice cream and chocolate). It's not exactly beer ice cream, but it's close.
posted by B-squared at 7:23 PM on November 12, 2007

Maggie Moo's is a franchise, but their "Better Batter" made with real Duncan Hines yellow cake mix is amazing. I'm sure a homemade version is doable.

YMMV.
posted by bach at 8:02 PM on November 12, 2007

Probably not what you're looking for all by itself, but it might complement some other fall/winter flavors -- Bourbon Ice Cream. It's crazy good. Recipes aren't hard to find. Use decent bourbon with a lot of aroma/flavor (I use Knob Creek).
posted by madmethods at 8:29 PM on November 12, 2007

Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby , Oatmeal Cookie Chunk and Cinnamon Buns also come to mind. They still make Black and Tan.

I've seen the pomegranate Haagen Dazs ice cream but I'd rather have it as a sorbet.
posted by brujita at 9:56 PM on November 12, 2007

Guinness
posted by captaincrouton at 11:13 PM on November 12, 2007

I had delicious cranberry-orange ice cream last night at a local ice cream parlor.
posted by jrichards at 6:49 AM on November 13, 2007

There is an equation for this kind of thing:
Creamy/rich + salty/sharp = heaven

Malted milk ice cream with sea salt/pretzel pieces and dark chocolate

Licqorice ice cream

olive oil gelato, sea salt, dash of sour marmalade and dash of sweet rasberries (al la mario batalis otto)

seasme icecream with a hint of wasabi

pear icecream with salty candied walnuts (ala hagen daaz special flavor)

dark chocolate icecream with bacon bits

chocolate/toffee icecream with altoid lime sours

tahitian vanilla icecream with tart candied grapefruit

olive oil gelato/white truffle honey with grated parmesan regianno

please email me for more.....
posted by lalochezia at 2:13 PM on November 13, 2007

there is a fantastic ice cream place in LA called Scoops, and the fact that the proprietor creates unique and innovative ice cream flavors is Scoops' major draw. here are a few of his flavors that appear to meet your criteria:

• brown bread
• Guinness + truffles
• pistachio + fig
• honey lavender saffron
• pear + walnut + blue cheese
• caramel + bacon (if you eat meat; I do not)
• bloody mary

and some of my own (inspired) concoctions:
• blood orange (with zest) + sage + pine nuts
• pear + beets + chevre (mmmmmm!)
• persimmon + shortbread cookie (I find shortbread cookies to be savory in and of themselves, due to the high butter content)
• tangelo + balsamic
• butternut squash + sea salt + cinnamon
• rice pudding + cardamom + turmeric
• sweet potato + parsnip
• cranberry sorbet + caramelized onion swirls (remove the onions, but keep the cararmelized flavor)

You've sent me into a fit of culinary creativity. I must purchase an ice cream maker now! How do you like your current ice cream maker, hermitosis?
posted by numinous at 8:43 PM on November 13, 2007 [2 favorites]