This does have fruit in it, so I do believe the Muffin Top Gods will turn a blind eye to the cream and sugar. Just to be sure, I said five Hail Dairys while the ice cream was being churned. And I thought about what my life would be like if I were blessed with my sister's metabolism. She got Mom's genes (so she gets Mom's jeans), and I got...an ice cream maker.
To clarify, my mom buys really nice jeans.
I was looking for a recipe that didn't involve making a custard base, and this one fit the bill perfectly. Rather than loading up on egg yolks, this recipe uses the pureed, cooked pears to give the ice cream its substance and richness.
Also, The Help describes pears as "gross apples", but even he conceded that this ice cream was the bombdotcom.
We are creeping up on ice cream season, so stop pretending to spring-clean, go get some pears and go crazy!
- 3 ripe pears, peeled and diced
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup light cream
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
In a saucepan, melt sugar over medium heat until it turns a rich, amber color. Stir occasionally during this process.
Once sugar is amber, add chopped pears and cook for ten minutes, or until pears are soft and fully cooked. During this time, the caramel may seize up and form a clump. Keep stirring, the caramel will eventually re-dissolve. Add the vanilla bean paste at this time, and stir to combine.
Once the pears are fully cooked, remove the saucepan from heat. Add 1/2 cup of the heavy cream, and stir to fully combine. Add the remaining heavy cream, the light cream, the salt and the lemon zest and mix thoroughly.
Bring mixture to room temperature, then puree the mixture using a food processor, immersion blender, or regular blender.
Chill pureed mixture thoroughly before adding to ice cream machine. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.