Cookbook Challenge: Week 51, Creamy

Recipe: Green tea ice cream
Adapted from: Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery Course

Wow, it’s the second to last week of the Cookbook Challenge! The theme for this week is “creamy” and guess what? I made something this week!

Long time readers might remember my takoyaki post from last year. I never mentioned it on the blog, but Bro bought me a takoyaki pan for my birthday! Aww!

I invited Kat and April over as an excuse to use my takoyaki pan again and I thought I would tie my Cookbook Challenge theme in and make green tea ice cream. I don’t have an ice cream maker (I don’t have the freezer space for one, otherwise I would BE SO THERE) so when I saw that the recipe in the Ballymaloe Cookery Course doesn’t need further whisking during the freezing period, I figured it was worth a shot. Instead of making a custard like other ice creams, this ice cream is made with an Italian egg mousse base that’s folded into whipped cream. Then it goes into the freezer – and that’s it!


Here’s the takoyaki starting to cook!

I followed the base recipe for ice cream and added green tea powder that I mixed with enough water to form a thick paste. I used quite a lot of green tea powder, because I hate green tea flavoured things that are insipid and subtle. It meant that my ice cream was slightly bitter and pretty strongly green tea flavoured. It was also very creamy – basically because it’s all cream! However, it didn’t make much ice cream, so I would recommend doubling the recipe. Doubling it would also mean it’s easier to make, since two egg yolks don’t whisk all that well in the mixer!

If you’re like me and don’t have an ice cream maker, try this recipe. You can replace the green tea powder and water with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to make vanilla ice cream if you’re not keen on green tea (and what? why not? it’s awesome!)

Thanks to Kat and April for coming over and bringing yummy sushi, salad and caramel slice, as well as giving me an excuse to use my takoyaki pan! 😀

Check out previous Cookbook Challenge posts here.

Update: For the round up for this week, see My Food Trail.

Green tea ice cream

Adapted from: Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery Course

2 egg yolks
50g sugar
125ml water
2-3 tablespoons green tea powder (to taste)
boiling water
600ml softly whipped cream (measure the cream whipped)

Place the egg yolks in a bowl/mixer and whisk over high speed until they are pale and fluffy.

In a saucepan, combine the water and sugar and stir over a medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the spoon and increase the heat until it boils. Let the syrup boil until it reaches the “thread” stage – 106-113°C – it will be quite thick, and when a metal spoon is dipped into it, the drops of syrup will form firm threads.

Meanwhile, dissolve the green tea powder with enough boiling water to make a smooth paste.

While whisking the egg yolks, pour the hot syrup on to them.

Add some of the egg/syrup mixture to the green tea paste, and fold together, then fold gently into the rest of the egg/syrup mixture.

Fold in the softly whipped cream, then pour into a stainless steel of plastic bowl, cover and freeze.

When serving, remove from the freezer at least 10 minutes before serving.