Raspberry, Cinnamon and Orange Ice Cream

I am a terrible blogger. Hoboken Cupcake has suffered some true neglect this month, which can be blamed equally on A's fatwa on desserts, my hectic job and trips to California and Rhode Island to visit friends and family. I can't believe that a month has gone by. A MONTH HAS GONE BY!!! Hooray for summer! I can't believe it is finally here. And what does summer mean? Ice cream, of course... and sorbet... but mostly ice cream! It also means that I really need to use all of the raspberries I have in my freezer. They have been there for an embarrassingly long time - embarrassing enough that I am not going to say when I put them there. Let's just say that raspberries freeze well. 

 

My ice cream maker is rapidly becoming my favorite kitchen appliance (thanks to the salpedros, who got it for us as a wedding gift... after I embarrassingly told them that it is what they should get us... nothing like telling your friends to buy you presents... I got some class). Nothing beats homemade ice cream. You can control the stuff that goes in it, raising or lowering the fat and sugar as you wish. You can also create any flavor that you can dream of - flavors like raspberry cinnamon and orange. No more standing in the freezer section searching for the perfect flavor to accompany the pie you made... instead you can make it yourself.

Like most things from scratch, ice cream does take a bit of planning. You can't just decide you want some and then enjoy it 30 minutes later. It takes a least a full day from start to finish, in order to ensure proper freezing. That being said, most recipes only require about 20-25 minutes of active time. The rest of the time is spent waiting... and waiting... and waiting some more. It is definitely worth it. 

An aside - A and I finally decided to get a fancy camera. While I don't think that I will suddenly be posting award winning photography on this blog, I do expect my photos to get much sharper and have better lighting. Alas, I didn't get a macro lens, just a DSLR, but it's about the baby steps, right? Macro lenses are expensive and I have flour to buy!

Recipe after the jump!

Raspberry, Cinnamon and Orange Ice Cream

Yields approximately 2 quarts

8 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

2 cups milk

1/4 tsp salt

1.5 tsp cinnamon

2 cups heavy cream

12 ounces raspberries

zest of one orange

Puree the raspberries and push through a fine mesh strainer to remove all of the solids.

In a small or medium saucepan, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, salt and cinnamon. Heat the mixture over medium heat stirring constantly until a custard forms. You will know it is ready when the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. Transfer the custard to a bowl and stir in the raspberry puree and the orange zest.

Cover the mixture and chill in the refrigerator overnight or until cold. Pour into an ice cream maker and churn according to the instructions that came with the machine. When the ice cream is done, transfer it from the machine to an air tight container. Cover the ice cream with plastic wrap so that the plastic wrap directly touches the entire surface of the ice cream. This will prevent ice crystals from forming on the top. Stick the ice cream in the freezer to harden for about two hours and then serve!