That Time of Year

A few weeks ago I dusted off the ice cream maker and officially began summer. Last August I got the ice cream maker for my birthday and while I totally dug using it, the ice creams I made never quite lived up to my texture expectations. I did a little research at the grocery store and the brands I like most (Haagen-Dazs and Ben and Jerry?s) tend to use skim milk as well as heavy cream, so I thought I?d give it a try. They both also use eggs, which I?m just not into.

Hallelujah, brothers and sisters, I discovered the winning combination!

After the hazelnut ice cream (recipe below) was but a memory, I made some blueberry ice cream. I used locally grown blueberries that were amazingly sweet, plump and juicy. The ice cream didn?t disappoint, although I should have strained the solids, a step contained in the Epicurious recipe I was using as a guide.

I was going for a replication of Ben and Jerry?s Maine Blueberry ice cream, which was one of the only things I could keep down in the early months of my pregnancy with Max. My version had much more intense flavor and color, and even though Max complained about ?too much blueberry skin,? it didn?t stop him from practically devouring the entire container.

This story in yesterday?s New York Times Magazine completely inspired me. I was in San Francisco last month, and had my finger been more deftly on the pulse I would have paid Humphry Slocombe a visit with cash?and camera?in hand.

While I doubt I will ever concoct any ice creams with prosciutto or bacon, I sleep well at night knowing that there are people who have the courage to dream up and sell ice cream flavors with said ingredients. My prognostication: Something with bugs will turn up on the HS menu in the very near future. And, I just might try it.

Toasted Hazelnut Ice Cream
Makes a little more than a pint

When I say to use a scant ? cup of brown sugar, I mean don?t pack the sugar down and fill it all the way up to the brim of the measuring cup. As much as I like sugar, I get really put off by stuff that?s too sweet. I did a lot of research (eating) on the perfect ice cream sweetness. Trust me, won?t you?

1¼ cup skim milk
Scant ? cup brown sugar
Pinch sea salt
1½ cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped

1. Combine milk, brown sugar and salt into large mixing bowl. Use hand mixer on low speed for 2 minutes or use whisk to dissolve sugar. Whisking takes more like 3-4 minutes for sugar to dissolve.

2. Mix in heavy cream and vanilla and almond extracts.

3. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the instructions specific to your machine to thicken the ice cream. (Mine takes about 23 minutes.) Five minutes before the ice cream reaches desired thickness, pour in the hazelnuts.

4. Transfer ice cream to a container. Smooth ice cream out so the top is even. Freeze for an hour or two. If the ice cream gets really hard, leave out to soften for 10 minutes before serving.