I’ve been thinking of a refreshing recipe – an ice-cream using mascarpone for its creamy texture and to try something different than cream, some candied walnuts and caramelized figs. So there I am surfing on the net in search of inspiration.
There are countless recipes, as you can expect. I was in luck and found these:
http://www.foodiesite.com/recipes/2002-10:masicecr
http://www.walnuts.org/walnuts/index.cfm/all-recipes/maple-candied-walnuts/
I combined them and slightly changed the ice-cream one. It uses 500g mascarpone.
I used 250g mascarpone and 250g fromage blanc 20% (Quark in German).
It isn’t difficult to make, but as it is my first time making ice-cream, and that, without an ice-cream machine, it’s taken me ages.
If you don’t have an ice-cream machine make sure you are at home for a few hours to ensure the stirring of the ice-cream (every 30min) during the freezing process.
I also opted for a simple way to candy the walnuts. Of course you can always make a syrup, roast the walnuts and make a praline. See how much time you have. One is quick and easy, the other one, not so much!
Make the ice-cream
Makes 1L ice-cream
500ml Milk
6 Egg yolk
250g Caster sugar
2 Vanilla pods (I use Madagascar Vanilla)
250g Mascarpone
250g Fromage blanc 20 % /curd cheese
1. Pour milk in a sauce-pan with 2 vanilla pods. Split them in half and grate the vanilla with a knife. On low-medium heat bring to a simmer.
2. When the milk starts to simmer, take it off the heat and remove the pods. Let cool 10 min.
3. In a bowl mix the egg yolk and sugar until white and fluffy, then pour the hot milk gradually while mixing.
4. Place the mixture back in a saucepan on medium heat. Using a spatula or a wooden spoon constantly stirring, gently thicken the cream. Make sure it does not boil otherwise the eggs will cook and you’ll get scrambled eggs. When the cream coats the spoon, it’s done.
5. Let cool on a iced water-bath.
6. Add the mascarpone and the quark 20%, whisk until homogenous. Pour the mixture into a plastic Tupperware or a metal box and place in the freezer.
7. Wait for 30 min, stir well using a whip. Put back in the freezer. Stir the cream every 30 min for 3 hours to ensure the mixture does not crystallize.
Make the candied Walnuts
65g Walnuts
4 Tbsp (65g) Maple syrup
1. In a bowl mix the walnuts with the maple syrup.
2.Place on the baking paper and bake on 200c° for 12min, stirring twice until the walnuts are brown. Then let cool.
3. Once it has cooled, crush the walnuts.
Make the figs
6 Figs quartered
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tsp Fleur de Sel
The juice of a lime
1 Tbsp water
1. In a frying-pan on medium-high heat, bring 2 Tbsp sugar and the lime juice to a boil and starts getting brownish.
2. When it starts bubbling set aside. Put the figs quartered in the syrup.
3. On low heat let the figs cook in the syrup. Add the butter and water, let cook further (10min). Then set aside and let them cool.
The ice-cream:
After an 1,5 hours of stirring the ice cream, it should still be creamy enough for you to stir. Add the figs as well as the candied walnuts. Stir well and place the dish in the freezer. You’ll have to stir a few times more before it can rest.
Serving suggestion:
Pan-roast the figs the same way than for the ice-cream, add some rum and flambée them, sprinkle the dessert with candied walnuts, enjoy!
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