I made this ice cream for a dinner party and nobody could identify the spice. It was cardamom and black peppercorns simmered into the cream base. The ice cream tastes warm and slightly floral from the cardamom, with a faint heat from the peppercorns that you notice on the third bite. Swirled with a thick raspberry sauce made from fresh raspberries cooked with sugar and thickened with cornstarch.
The raspberry sauce goes into the container in layers with the churned ice cream: a spoonful of ice cream, a drizzle of sauce, more ice cream, more sauce. When you scoop, each serving has red ribbons of fruit running through the pale, spiced cream.
Tips for Making Spiced Ice Cream with Raspberry Sauce
Steep the spices in the hot cream
Ground cardamom and whole black peppercorns simmer in the cream, milk, sugar, and corn syrup mixture for four minutes. The cream absorbs the spice flavours.
Strain the peppercorns out before churning. The cardamom can stay since it is ground. The peppercorns leave a harsh bite if left in.
Thicken the raspberry sauce with cornstarch
Cook raspberries and sugar until the berries break down, about five minutes. Add a cornstarch slurry and bring to a boil for one minute to thicken.
Let the sauce cool completely before layering with the ice cream. Warm sauce melts the ice cream and the layers blur.
Spiced Ice Cream with Raspberry Sauce Swirl
- Total Time: 130 minutes
- Yield: 1 quart
Description
The ice cream is infused with cardamom and peppercorns for a heat that offsets the sweetness of the raspberry sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raspberries (I used a mixture of golden and red raspberries)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 5 black peppercorns
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the raspberries and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the raspberries break down, about 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the raspberry mixture and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool.
- In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch to make a slurry.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese and salt until smooth.
- In a large saucepan, combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, cardamom, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Return to a boil and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Let cool.
- Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Layer the ice cream with the raspberry sauce in a storage container, then freeze until firm.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 100
- Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 3
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen raspberries?
Yes. They release more juice when cooked, which actually makes a thicker sauce. No need to thaw first.
What does the cream cheese do?
Two ounces of softened cream cheese gets whisked into the hot milk mixture. It makes the ice cream denser and creamier, similar to a Philadelphia-style base.
How long does this keep?
Up to two weeks in the freezer in an airtight container. The spice flavour intensifies slightly over the first few days.
