Our love affair with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams started when our co-founder Susan Feldman came across the creamy creations and knew she had to share the innovative flavors. While we encourage you to check out Jeni’s website to order your own, we also wanted to provide you with some killer recipes to create these seasonal flavors at home—because what is more comforting than homemade ice cream? So here are two excerpts from Jeni Britton Bauer’s cookbook Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home to add to your recipe repertoire. We’re convinced they will impress your guests, big and small.
Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream
Jeni’s Tip:
“The best strawberries are juicy, fragrant, and sweet but have a tart edge. Roasting them for just a few minutes evaporates some of the water and concentrates the flavor. A touch of lemon juice and buttermilk helps draw out the subtle tartness of the berries.”
Makes about 1 quart
Roasted Strawberries:
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Ice Cream Base:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup buttermilk
Prep:
For the strawberries:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Combine the strawberries with the sugar in an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish, stirring gently to mix well. Roast for 8 minutes, or until just soft. Let cool slightly.
Puree the berries in a food processor with the lemon juice. Measure 1/2 cup of the pureed berries; refrigerate the rest of the puree for another use.
For the ice cream base:
Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
Cook:
Combine the remaining milk, the cream, the sugar, and the corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
Chill:
Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Add the reserved 1/2 cup strawberry puree and the buttermilk, and blend well. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag, and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.
Freeze:
Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister of your ice cream maker, and spin until it’s thick and creamy.
Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.
Backyard Mint Ice Cream
Jeni’s Tip:
“To flavor our ice cream, we roughly tear mint leaves, then cold-soak them in the ice cream base overnight. Tearing the mint bruises the leaves and opens the oil pockets, releasing the scent into the cream. Don’t care for mint? You can substitute any fresh herb.”
Makes about 1 quart
Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
A large handful of fresh mint from your backyard or farmers’ market, leaves roughly torn into small pieces
Prep:
Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
Cook:
Combine the remaining milk, the cream, the sugar, and the corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
Chill:
Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Add the mint. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag, and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.
Refrigerate to steep for 4 to 12 hours.
Freeze:
Strain out the mint. Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister of your ice cream maker, and spin until it’s thick and creamy. Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.
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