Angelica Ice Cream
I planted angelica last year in my herb patch. I actually forgot that I planted it and as angelica is biennial, the full growth will happen the year after as the first year it’s establishing the root. This spring, it started to grow so vigorously, and within no time, it’s standing so tall and majestically right next to my almond tree.
Angelica is not only beautiful but also delicious and fragrant. The concentration of the fragrance is actually not even on the flower head, but on the stems. When you cut open the stems, you can immediately smell the distinct herbaceous fragrance. In Scandinavia, angelica is often used to flavor aquavit or made into pickles or syrup. Victorian English is also known for making candied angelica. In Greenland, they even eat fresh angelica dipped in sugar.
Today we will be making angelica ice cream. Ice cream always starts with a base, whether it’s custard base, nondairy base (then we call it sorbet), or any other dairy base. In general, which base you want is entirely up to you. But in my opinion, some bases are more suitable for certain flavor profiles. For example, if you use a custard base, you can always somehow taste the custard flavor in the background. So, I think it’s best to pair it with rich flavors where it’s acceptable to taste the custard flavor or sometimes it even complements the flavor, for example, nuts, rum raisin, and vanilla. For today’s ice cream, I want to emphasize the angelica’s flavor and fragrance, so I don’t want a base that interferes with those. Hence, I just used a simple milk and cream base.
You might wonder what xanthan gum is and what’s its business in this recipe. Even though it sounds intimidating, it’s actually easy to find at the supermarket. It is made from sugar fermentation and is often used as a thickening and stabilizing agent for sauce. In ice cream, it helps prevent ice crystal formation, which you strongly want to avoid—who wants icy ice cream, yikes! Because of this property, it helps improve the ice cream texture and you will have ice cream with a pleasant mouthfeel. Xanthan gum also has no flavor, so it won’t alter the ice cream base flavor, making it a perfect blank canvas.
Usually, when I make ice cream, I make the ice cream base first and add the flavorings to the ice cream base afterward. However, in this recipe, you want to infuse the ice cream base with the angelica stems from the get-go. You also want to let it steep and infuse overnight to get the maximum flavor. This process also helps relax the protein in the dairy so you will end with an even tastier ice cream. I strongly suggest you do not skip these processes. Patience is key here.
I hope you give my angelica ice cream recipe a try. Let me know if you enjoy it in the comment below. I’ll see you in the next newsletter!
Yields 3 cups
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Level of difficulty: 1/3
Keep for 1 month in the freezer
Ingredients:
200g/ ½ cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp xanthan gum
2 tbs milk powder
2 tbs light corn syrup
320g/ 1 1/3 cups whole milk
100g/ ½ cup angelica stems (it’s ok if you also include extra seeds/ flower heads), chopped
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
Steps:
Put sugar, xanthan gum, and milk powder in a pot and whisk to combine.
Add corn syrup and milk to the pot and whisk well to combine. Add the angelica stems. Turn on the heat and cook for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat.
Add cream and whisk to combine. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator and leave it to infuse overnight.
The next day, churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions of your ice cream machine. Transfer to a container and put a layer of baking paper on top of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming. Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.