Sweet Corn Ice Cream

I'm really not on a mission to come up with obscure ice cream flavors, really, I promise. They are just presented to me and I have an obligation to make sure they are known to the world. This year we took the family to the Minnesota State Fair. On a Saturday. The first Saturday of the Fair. Not the best idea. I don't usually mind big crowds of people, and it wasn't so much a people issue, it was just that there were SO many people. Throw in a double wide stroller and it took us almost 45 minutes to meet up with some friends just down the main street. We honestly didn't get anything done in the 4.5 hours that we were there except the farmhands activity for the kids, grabbed some food and watched a few minutes of a dog show. For someone who likes to spend his time efficiently, I left somewhat frustrated. The only saving grace was the ice cream. One bowl shared between the family. It was Sweet Corn Ice Cream and I've been dreaming of it since we left.


Too hard to explain, it's one you just have to try. It's not super sweet like a traditional ice cream and the sweet corn flavor is definitely present but certainly doesn't make it overly "savory". The kids loved it so it's obviously got some merit. And above all, it's got vegetables in it, so throw it in with dinner and you've got one less thing to worry about right?

I searched out some recipes, compared what people were trying and then made some tweaks in an effort to get it close to what we had experienced. I don't think it's an exact match but it's a pretty darn good substitute until next year rolls around. And we aren't going on a Saturday. Ever.

Sweet Corn Ice Cream


Ingredients

4 ears sweet corn, shucked
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, sliced open
3/4 cup sugar
9 egg yolks


Directions

Cut kernals from corn and scrape the cobs to remove all bits of corn and release the milk. Combine the corn, scrapings, milk, cream and vanilla in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook for 10 minutes. Cool slightly.

In two batches, puree the milk and corn mixture in a blender until completely smooth. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into another bowl.

Whisk the eggs yolks and sugar together until smooth. Add one cup of the warm cream mixture to the egg yolks and whisk until combined. Add another cup of the cream mixture and whisk again. Then whisk the egg mixture back into the rest of the warm cream and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pass this mixture through a sieve again to remove any remaining chunks.

Return the mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. The mixture should thicken slightly. Remove from heat and chill the mixture until completely cooled, about 4 hours.

Freeze in your ice cream maker following the manufacturers instructions.