Jeni Britton is an ice cream artisan, said Kristin Donnelly in Food & Wine. The proprietor of three Splendid Ice Creams shops in Columbus, Ohio, she has created “some of the best ice creams, sorbets, and frozen yogurts” in America. Her exceptionally creamy vanilla ice cream relies on two unusual ingredients—“cornstarch (to help thicken it) and cream cheese (to make it more scoopable).” Britton’s recipe for frozen yogurt doesn’t treat it as a low-fat substitute for ice cream; instead, it brings out the natural tanginess of such fruits as lemons and blueberries.
Recipes of the week
You will need an ice cream maker
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Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
2 cups whole milk
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
1½ oz cream cheese, softened (3 tablespoons)
1¼ cups heavy cream cup sugar
1½ tbsp light corn syrup
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/8 tsp kosher salt
Fill large bowl with ice water. In small bowl, mix 2 tbsp milk with cornstarch. In another large bowl, whisk cream cheese until smooth. In large saucepan, combine remaining milk with heavy cream, sugar, corn syrup, vanilla bean, and seeds. Bring milk mixture to boil; cook over moderate heat until sugar dissolves and vanilla flavors milk, about 4 minutes. Off heat, gradually whisk in cornstarch mixture. Return to boil; cook over moderately high heat until mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into cream cheese until smooth. Whisk in salt. Set bowl in ice water bath and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 20 minutes. Strain ice cream base into an ice cream maker; freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Pack ice cream into plastic container. Press sheet of plastic wrap directly onto surface of ice cream; close with airtight lid. Freeze vanilla ice cream until firm, about 4 hours.
Lemon-Blueberry Frozen Yogurt
½ cup fresh lemon juice, plus 1 tbsp grated lemon zest
1¼-oz package unflavored powdered gelatin
2/3 cup plus 6 tbsp sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
½ cup heavy cream
¾ cup blueberries
2 tsp water
Fill large bowl with ice water. Pour 2 tbsp lemon juice into small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice and let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, whisk remaining 6 tbsp lemon juice with 2/3 cup sugar and corn syrup. Bring to boil; cook over moderate heat until sugar dissolves, 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in lemon gelatin.
In medium bowl, mix yogurt with lemon zest. Stir in lemon juice mixture, then whisk in cream. Set yogurt base in ice water bath and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold, 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in saucepan, mix blueberries with remaining 6 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp water. Simmer over moderate heat, until saucy, 4 minutes. Let cool. Pour lemon yogurt into ice cream maker; freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Scoop alternating spoonfuls of yogurt and blueberry sauce into plastic container. Press sheet of plastic wrap directly onto surface; close with airtight lid. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
