Orange Ice Cream Tested Recipe

Orange Ice Cream

A hot summer's day begs for something cold. Oh, we could sip on a cold drink but nothing says 'Summer' like a bowl of homemade ice cream. I have the feeling that many people steer clear of making ice cream because it seems like too much work.

But this Orange Ice Cream is different as there is no 'cooking' involved; just mix all the ingredients together, chill in the refrigerator, and then process in your ice cream machine. Think of it as an "iced" cream, as that is how I would describe its lovely grainy texture (like a sherbet) that has a wonderful orange citrus flavor. It does not contain eggs, only cream, freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice, sugar and vanilla extract.

I adapted this recipe from Marjorie Kinnan Rawling's delightful book "Cross Creek Cookery". She describes making ice cream from fresh milk that "is yellow as buttercups" and "is so thick, when ladled off into a bowl or pitcher, that it is impossible to pour". I try to imagine how good an ice cream made with milk that fresh would taste, but since it will probably never happen, we will just have to content ourselves with making her recipe with the best quality cream and half-and-half that we can find. Any variety of sweet oranges can be used and you will notice I have added a little orange zest and lemon juice for extra flavor. This ice cream is lovely with fresh strawberries.

Cream is the fat that rises to the top of whole milk. It has a smooth, satiny texture and is labeled according to its butterfat content (heavy to light). When making this ice cream, use 'Heavy' Cream or Heavy 'Whipping' Cream which means it has a 36 - 40% butterfat that will double in volume when whipped and hold its form. Because of its superior flavor, I recommend using an organic brand of heavy whipping cream. The other cream used in this ice cream is Half and Half Cream, which is made of a mixture of cream and whole milk and contains between 10 - 18% butterfat.


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Orange Ice Cream: In a large bowl or measuring cup combine all the ingredients. Cover and place in the refrigerator until it is completely cold (several hours or overnight).

Transfer the mixture to the container of your ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once made, transfer the ice cream to a chilled container and store in the freezer. If the ice cream becomes too hard, place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving so it can soften.

Makes about 3 cups. Preparation time 30 minutes.

Orange Ice Cream:

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup (120 ml) half-and-half

2 cups (480 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice (strain to remove pulp)

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar (or to taste)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Note: Half and Half Cream is a mixture of cream and whole milk and contains 10 - 12% butterfat.

Heavy Cream or Heavy "Whipping" Cream contains 36 - 40% butterfat.

Resources

Recipe adapted from: Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnan. Cross Creek Cookery. New York: A Fireside Book, 1942.

Dickson, Paul. The Great American Ice Cream Book. New York: Galahad Books, 1972.

Friberg, Bo. The Professional Pastry Chef (Third Edition). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1996.

Liddell, Caroline and Weir, Robin. Frozen Desserts. New York: St. Martin's Griffin: 1995.

Mariani, John F. The Dictionary of American Food & Drink, New Haven and New York: Ticknor & Fields, 1983.