Jeni Britton Bauer's Jasmine Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe

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Photograph: Kelsey McClellan

Jasmine-scented green tea infuses cream with the heady aroma of jasmine and the tannic, mouth gripping attributes of green tea. It's a very refreshing flavor for summer and makes a beautiful dessert all on its own in a pretty bowl, or as an accompaniment to a fresh apricot or cherry crisp (or just fresh apricots or cherries.)

A scoop is also delicious with white chocolate, especially Shawn Askinosie's version. This is real white chocolate, and if you haven't had it, then you haven't had anything like it. It's almost the color of an extremely pale milk chocolate, alluding to its authentic cacao origins. He also does a version with pistachios, which would be a perfect pairing with this ice cream. I'd just break off a shard and stick it right in the bowl with the jasmine green tea ice cream.

Adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer. (Artisan Books.) Copyright © 2011.

Recipe Details

Jeni Britton Bauer's Jasmine Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Cook 20 mins
Churning/Freezing Time 5 hrs 15 mins
Total 5 hrs 45 mins
Serves 6 to 8 servings
Makes 1 quart

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole milk

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

  • 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened

  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

  • 2/3 cup sugar

  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

  • 1/4 cup jasmine green tea leaves

  • 2 cups Sugar-Plumped Cherries (recipe below)

For Sugar-Plumped Cherries:

  • 2 cups dried cherries

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

  • 1 cup sugar

Directions

  1. Make Cherries: Put the cherries in a heatproof bowl. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the syrup over the cherries and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled (the cherries will keep for up to a month in the refrigerator).

  2. Prep: Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. Whisk the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

  3. Cook: Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, and 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, add the tea, and let steep for 10 minutes.

  4. Strain the milk mixture through a fine sieve, pressing on the tea leaves to extract as much cream as possible. Return to the saucepan and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring 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.

  5. Chill: Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. 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.

  6. Freeze: Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister and spin until thick and creamy. Drain the cherries well. Pack the ice cream into a storage container, layering it with the cherries as you go. 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.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
425 Calories
18g Fat
65g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 425
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 22%
Saturated Fat 11g 54%
Cholesterol 53mg 18%
Sodium 63mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 65g 24%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 58g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 8mg 40%
Calcium 116mg 9%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 280mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)