I will be eternally grateful for your great gift of taking in to the fullest extent what it is that I
have to offer, living it, and then reflecting it back in terms of the potential experience of others.
You have given words to a process that defies words. And you’re constantly in a position to help
me continue to hone that, deeper and deeper and more and more resonantly, who I am and what I offer,
which is truly invaluable. — Jon Hansen, 
What you’ve sent me is so darn perfect it hurts! It’s a sheer pleasure to work with someone
who writes as beautifully as you do — and in “my” voice. — Ariane Goodwin, Ed.D,
You have a real gift for words. You’re really, really good at it. — Sherry Essig,
I did it! Apple pie ice cream!
Last week, I participated in a lively discussion on Twitter about ice cream.
Somewhere in there, we started talking about apple pie ice cream. There was some debate over exactly what this would be. Some thought that apple pie is meant to go with vanilla ice cream, and wasn’t sure if apple pie ice cream made sense. Others thought it sounded like fun.
I was among the “it sounds like fun” crowd. And since I’m still working my way through the apples from my apple tree (more apple butter and another apple pie this weekend), I thought – why not?
Since I agree that vanilla ice cream is the proper accompaniment for apple pie, I knew I wanted a vanilla ice cream base. I started with Fine Cooking magazine, whose June/July 2009 issue includes an excellent how-to article on ice cream – a basic custard plus how to infuse different flavours, how to use add-ins and swirls. Using their instructions, I created a delightful vanilla-bean-infused vanilla ice cream.
I diced an apple and cooked it gently with spices, sugar, and lemon – apple pie filling. Following Fine Cooking’s advice, I swirled a cupful of the apple mixture into the soft-frozen vanilla ice cream, and put the result into the freezer to finish freezing.
And I made little bitty pie shells, mini tart shells really, baking them in a muffin tin.
It was yummy.
That’s not quite as good a picture as I’d hoped, but to try again I’d have to eat more…
The combination of the vanilla ice cream with the spiced apples was exactly what I was hoping for, and the piecrust shell was just … well, perfection.
However, I will say that Fine Cooking is incorrect in how much swirly add-in mixture to use. There is nowhere near enough apple and spice in this. I would have liked to see a proper swirl of apples and syrup, but that couldn’t happen with just the cupful I used.
It’s cute and good enough to try again, and I’ll definitely use a lot more apple next time.
Fun stuff, and thanks to the Twitterfolk* who inspired it!
*I think that included @fabeku, @wildheartqueen, and @hiroboga. I hope I haven’t left anyone out!
Posted: July 13th, 2009 under Glorious Food.
Comments
Comment from
Jennifer Hofmann
Time July 13, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Reading this with the knowledge that ice cream is out of my culinary repertoire is just shy of torture.
You’ve impressed me before, Grace, but this takes the cake. Er, pie.
Jen
Comment from
Grace
Time July 14, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Adam – Oh, my. Coconut with saffron. That sounds really, really good! And ever since you wrote about using coconut milk as a substitute for some of the milk in ice cream, I’ve been wanting to try it. Yumyum!
Jennifer – It seems that many people have the idea that ice cream is hard to make, but it really isn’t. It helps a lot to have an ice cream maker, but there are some ice creams that don’t need one.
One of my favourites from my childhood is lime buttermilk sherbet, which is just 1/2 cup lime juice, grated peel from 1 lime, a quart of buttermilk, and 1 3/4 cups sugar. Stir the whole thing together till the sugar dissolves, and stick it in the freezer. It’s not such a bad thing if you stir it every so often whilst it freezes, but it’s not such a bad thing if you don’t, too.
YUM!
Comment from
Hiro Boga
Time July 15, 2009 at 9:33 pm
Grace, this looks utterly delicious!
When we were kids we had an old-fashioned hand-cranked ice-cream maker. Nothing quite like home-made ice cream. Especially with apples from your own tree! I’m so impressed.
Love, Hiro
Comment from
Grace
Time July 22, 2009 at 9:05 am
Hiro – Thank you! Yes, I remember the days of cranking and cranking and cranking and cranking and cranking. I have to say I’m very glad to have my little electric machine, even though it’s true that the canister takes up space in my freezer!
Comment from Adam Kayce
Time July 13, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I don’t know if you’ve played around with David Lebovitz’s recipes yet… http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2008/09/quick_coconut_ice_cream_with_saf.html , but I find he really knows his ice creams. He might have just the thing you’re looking for.
And yes, the coconut w/ saffron is truly to die for.
Enjoy the apple pie!