Buttermilk Ice Cream-The Perfect Foil
A few weeks ago I needed to use up leftover buttermilk in my refrigerator. What to do? Salad dressing? Mashed potatoes? Soak some chicken before baking? Bake? OK, I settled on none of the above and decided to try something that doesn’t sound all that inviting, initially-ice cream.
There are so many uses for buttermilk-and the best part is that buttermilk is low-fat, or no-fat, and still packs a thick, creamy, taste wallop. What I found when I tasted buttermilk ice cream is that some sugar and vanilla beans takes the sourness of of the end product, but leaves the tang intact. That tang is the perfect foil for other flavors, namely berries of any kind.
For this recipe (adapted from Epicurious), I wanted to lower the fat content (by using half and half vs. heavy cream) and still have a satisfying, creamy product in the end. It worked! You could even omit one egg yolk (use 5 instead of 6) and substitute milk for the half and half. The end product was still tasty, if not creamy. Still, it’s refreshing.
Buttermilk Ice Cream
makes 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 vanilla bean, split with seeds scraped*
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup cold buttermilk (2 %)
Directions
Place half and half and scraped vanilla seeds into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar. Slowly (very, very slowly) pour half and half mixture into eggs and sugar, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan and heat over medium until thickened, stiring constantly, about 6-7 minutes. The mixture should coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Strain mixture into a bowl, and add buttermilk. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. (Can be prepared up to 5 days ahead. Freeze in covered container.)
*A great way to use that scraped vanilla bean is to make vanilla sugar by placing the bean into a container of sugar and cover tightly. Use for coffee, tea, or as a sweetener for fruits and berries.
