CREME FRAICHE & BLUEBERRY COULIS ICE CREAM

Crème Fraîche & Blueberry Ice Cream | Organic Ice Cream Recipes in French and English at La Bonne Honte { labonnehonte.com } Image Copyright labonnehonte.com 2018

Whether you're celebrating the 4th of July or Le 14 Juillet, this ice cream is the perfect mixture of rich, tangy, and sweet to accompany any warm season fete. I can't think of a better ice cream to wrap up a sunny summer meal.

One thing I miss from my time in the states is a satin slice of cheese cake with a fruity drizzle. The closest I've come to finding a good cheesecake on this side of the pond is at Bertels Salon in Copenhagen, where they specialize in an array of fun cheesecakes. I go there every time I'm in Copenhagen for a hefty slice of cake and a hot coffee.

But, since we live in Germany not Denmark, this créme fraîche ice cream is the answer to that longing absence. Tangy cream with intense fresh fruit waves, this is by far my summer favorite.

Anyone intimidated by the rather European-looking "créme fraîche" ingredient? Don't be! It's the French approximation of American sour cream. Most countries differ in ingredients, but with a little knowledge you can make do, wherever you are.

Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

(Makes about a half quart)

For your Blueberry Coulis:

1/4 cup fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon sugar (12 grams)

Small squeeze of lemon juice

For your Custard:

3/4 cup heavy cream (180 mL)

1 tablespoon milk (15 mL)

50 grams sugar + 10 grams sugar (separated)

1/8 teaspoon salt (small pinch)

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup crème fraîche légère (the french approximation of American sour cream or German schmand ) (180 ml)

*(You can use any of these tart creams. To choose which cream is best for you, please see my notes on the differences of each type of cream in the notes section below)

Bowl of ice water

Tools:

Blender (preferably Immersion or Stick blender)

Small sauce pan / pot

Heavy Bottom Pot or Double boiler (Don’t have a Double Boiler? Don’t worry, just place a medium bowl over the top of a pot with a an inch or two of water simmering in the bottom.)

Whisk

Sieve

Large bowl & smaller bowl (ice bath)

Wooden spoon*

Thermometer*

*Ideal, not essential

Instructions:

For the Crème Fraîche Légère Ice Cream Base:

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. (This will become an ice bath for cooling the custard later on.) Leave your medium nesting bowl out of the cold water for now. (You will need to blend the custard in this later before cooling it.)

2. Place your heavy-bottom pot or double boiler of medium heat. Add the heavy cream, milk, salt, and 50 grams of sugar. Stir until the sugar and salt are melted and the dairy mix begins to steam.

3. Whisk the egg yolks and remaining 10 grams of sugar together in a medium bowl until lighter in color (about 2 mins). Once it is uniform, add a tablespoon of the steaming dairy mixture while still whisking. Repeat until you have added 3 -4 tablespoons of the dairy mixture to the yolk mix. Then add the yolk mixture back into the rest of the dairy mixture and return it to medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. (Try to keep the heat at medium-low - under 80 degrees Celsius). The custard will be done cooking once the mixture is thick enough to glaze the back of the spoon. Run your finger across the back of the spoon. If the custard remains separated, it is done cooking.

4. Strain the custard into the medium bowl (the one you use for your ice bath) and stir in the créme fraîche légère (or sour cream or schmand, depending on where you are cooking). Blend gently it until the mixture is uniform.

5. Float the bowl in your ice bath and stir until cool. (5-ish minutes)

6. Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least four hours. Letting it sit even longer, perhaps overnight, is even better.

To make the Blueberry Coulis:

1. Throw your blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice into a small saucepan. Place over medium-low heat, stirring periodically while it gently simmers. When the berries begin to collapse and the beautiful deep pink sauce starts to thicken (normally after about 5 - 10 minutes), remove the coulis from the heat and let cool. Once it reaches room temperature, store it in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to fold it into your churned custard.

To finish the Ice Cream:

7. When you are ready to churn, follow the instructions of your ice cream maker. Pour your chilled custard into your machine and let it churn until it has the texture you desire. Once finished, transfer the custard to a chilled bowl and gently fold in your blueberry coulis. Do not over-mix! You're aiming for whirls of coulis, braided into the clean, ecru custard.

8. Store the ice cream in a pre-chilled, air-tight container and freeze!

This Créme Fraîche ice cream with Blueberry Coulis will keep for about one week.

Notes :

- Finding the equivalent of certain ingredients in different countries can be a pain. For the sour or bitter cream in this recipe (not the heavy cream - that's different), it is ideal to use a cream that has about 15% - 25% fat.

France | Créme Fraîche Légère - generally 15% - 30% fat. (Légère means "light" in French. Avoid regular créme fraîche... it usually contains more than 30% fat which is too heavy for this recipe)

United States | Sour Cream - generally 18% - 20% fat.

Germany | Schmand - generally 20% - 29% fat.

*Wherever you are, simply look at the fat percentage on the packaging to see what you're getting. The fat ratio can change even between different brands in the same store.

- Spring and Summer are a great time for this ice cream since blueberries are at their freshest. Peak blueberry picking season varies depending on where you live on the planet. For the best blueberry taste, ask your local farmers and cooks when the blueberries are begging to be plucked!

- For the lemon in this recipe (in all recipes, really) I would suggest choosing the heaviest lemon (compared to other lemons of the same size) because that will be the ripest and the juiciest. Let your fruit reach room temperature before you use it. I even let my citrus sit in the window planter in the sunshine until I'm ready to use it. Give it a little bang on your counter and roll it under a heavy hand before you juice it. This will help release the intense flavor you're looking for.

- Toppings: Fresh blueberries, Granola, light cakes, almonds, vanilla, and oats.