Blue Moon Ice Cream

TIME1 hour MAKES1L of ice cream and 1/2 a cup of blueberry syrup PORTION
0.5x 1x 2x 3x

I’ve always wondered why lemon ice cream is so rare. Sure, everyone sells lemon sorbet, but citrus-flavoured ice creams are the perfect combination of bright, sour, and creamy.

This recipe is a recreation of blue moon gelato from Gusto Gelato, one of my favourite gelateria’s in Perth. A rich white chocolate-infused ice cream base with a blueberry ripple, the understated white chocolate provides a base that is elevated by the lemon and blueberry, leading to a fresh, vibrant ice cream that is not at all heavy on the palate.

The white chocolate ice cream base is adapted from David Lebovitz’s caramelized white chocolate ice cream, while the blueberry ripple is based on Stella Parks fresh-fruit ice cream swirl recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Blueberry swirl

  • 225g frozen blueberries
  • 170g sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon (1g) kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water (or other aromatics, such as vanilla essence, almond extract, rose water, or orange blossom water)1.

Ice cream base

  • Lemon rind from 2 lemons
  • 130g sugar
  • 250ml whole milk
  • 250ml heavy cream
  • 250ml double cream2
  • 230g good quality white chocolate (finely chopped)
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

STEPS

Blueberry swirl

  1. Combine blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, and salt in a 2L stainless steel saucier. Make note of the filled saucier’s weight at this stage so the reduction can be tracked on the scale. Mash the blueberries with a fork or metal spatula.

  2. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, continuously stirring and scraping along the bottom and sides of the saucier with a flexible, heat-resistant spatula. This should take no longer than 5 minutes; if it seems to be moving too slowly, simply increase the heat.

  3. Once the mixture begins to boil, continue cooking until reduced by 115g for a thin, saucy ribbon or 140g for a thick, gooey ribbon. This phase should take about 6 minutes; while it’s natural for the timing to vary from one stovetop to the next, a significant delay may indicate the heat is too low.

  4. Strain the syrup into a heat-safe container and stir in the orange blossom water (or other aromatics; see note). If desired, season with an additional pinch of salt, bearing in mind the syrup will seem less sweet when frozen. Cover and refrigerate until no warmer than 4ºC.

Ice cream base

While the syrup is chilling, get started on the ice cream base.

  1. Add the sugar, milk, lemon rind, 1 cup of double cream and a pinch of salt to the saucepan and warm the mixture. Once warm, turn off the stove, and cover and steep for at least an hour, or until you are satisfied with the lemon flavor.

  2. Finely chop the white chocolate, and place it in a large glass bowl.

  3. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, then gradually add some of the lemon-infused cream mixture, whisking constantly as you pour in the warm cream. Pour the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

  4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Strain the custard into the white chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

  5. Add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Chill thoroughly in the fridge, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. While churning, place a flat glass/pyrex tray into the freezer.

  6. Stir the syrup until viscous. Place a third of the ice cream into the chilled container, and layer/drizzle the syrup using spoon. Place another third of the ice cream on top, as well as another drizzle of syrup. Finally, finish by placing the final third of the ice cream, and by using a knife or spatula to gently swirl and ribbon the syrup.

  7. Return the container to the freezer to allow the ice cream to set, ~5-6 hours. Any remaining syrup can be used as a sauce.

NOTES

  • The amount of sugar, and cooking the blueberries down to reduce the the water content, is essential to make sure that the blueberry ripple doesn’t freeze or go icy when setting the ice cream.
  1. Aromatic ingredients amplify the blueberry’s aroma, offsetting the muting effects of freezing temperatures. ↩︎
  2. Double cream is easy to get in Australia — it is about 48% milk fat. When I’m in Canada, I usually just replace this with heavy cream. The difference is not too noticeable; without the double cream, the texture is slightly less smooth/more icy, but the flavour is better and it coats the tongue less. ↩︎