Pie and Pastry Bible (68 page)

Have ready near the range a strainer suspended over a medium bowl.

In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, place 11 tablespoons of the sugar and the vanilla bean and, using your fingers, rub the seeds into the sugar. Remove the pod and drop it into the cream. Add the yolks to the sugar mixture and, with a wooden spoon, mix until well blended. Stir in the passion fruit purée, butter, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened and resembles hollandaise sauce; it should thickly coat the spoon but still be liquid enough to pour. The mixture will change from translucent to opaque and begin to take on a yellow color on the back of the spoon. It must not be allowed to boil, or it will curdle (an accurate thermometer will read 180°F.). Whenever steam appears, remove the pan briefly from the heat, stirring constantly to keep the mixture from boiling. When the mixture has thickened, pour it at once into the strainer. Press it with the back of a spoon until only a coarse residue remains. Discard the residue (or consider it the cook’s dividend!).

In a medium bowl, place the cream and milk. Whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar until dissolved and whisk this mixture into the curd. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until well chilled.

Stir in the optional passion fruit liqueur or vodka and Cobasan. Remove the vanilla bean and freeze in an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to ripen for at least 2 hours in the freezer before serving. If it has been held longer and is very hard, allow it to sit refrigerated or at room temperature until softened and creamy.

STORE

Frozen, up to 1 week. The ice cream has the best texture within 3 days of freezing but with the liqueur will maintain its texture for up to a week.

NOTE

If desired, the ice cream can be garnished with a passion fruit sauce. (Leaving in the little black seeds offers a flavor clue as well as an exotic decoration.) For ½ cup sauce, in a small saucepan, stir together the pulp from 4 passion fruit (about
cup), 2 teaspoons of sugar, and ¼ cup of water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Allow to cool to room temperature, and spoon a few teaspoons around each serving of ice cream.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

See page 223.

For the best flavor, choose passion fruit that are very wrinkled. They will not have an aroma until cut.

To prevent curdling from the acidity of the fruit, be sure to mix the sugar with the yolks before adding the passion fruit purée.

PINEAPPLE ICE CREAM

T
his ice cream makes a marvelous Piña Colada Ice Cream Pie (page 228). It is also an unusually flavorful accompaniment to fruit pies such as strawberry and blueberry.

MAKES: ABOUT 4 CUPS DEPENDING ON THE ICE CREAM MAKER)
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
*Or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, added just before freezing.
Pineapple Purée sugar	(3cups) 2 cups	(10.5 ounces) 14 ounces	(300 grams) 400 grams
water	1 liquid cup	8.25 ounces	236 grams
1 pineapple, preferably “golden” variety, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks	4 cups	1 pound 7 ounces	652 grams
Pineapple Ice Cream sugar	½ cup	3.5 ounces	100 grams
vanilla bean, split lengthwise*	2-inch piece	•	•
5 large egg yolks	3 fluid ounces	3.25 ounces	93 grams
salt	a pinch	•	•
heavy cream	2 liquid cups	16.25 ounces	464 grams
milk	liquid cup	5.6 ounces	160 grams
optional: light rum	1 tablespoon † 2 teaspoons	approx. 0.75 ounce	23 grams
optional: Cobasan	rounded ½ teaspoon	•	•

Advance preparation:
Make the pineapple purée 1 day ahead.

MAKE THE PINEAPPLE PURÉE

In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the pineapple and, without stirring, return to a boil. Cover, cool, and let sit overnight at room temperature.

Use at once, or leave the pineapple in the syrup and refrigerate it, tightly covered, for up to 1 week.

Drain the pineapple and purée it in a food processor with the metal blade or a food mill fitted with a fine disc. Remove
cup (2.3 ounces/66 grams) for the ice cream. (Place the remaining 2
cups in an airtight jar and freeze for up to 6 months.)

MAKE THE ICE CREAM

Have a fine strainer suspended over a medium mixing bowl ready near the range.

In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, place the sugar and vanilla bean and, using your fingers, rub the seeds into the sugar. Remove and reserve the pod. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the yolks and salt until well blended.

In a small saucepan (or a heatproof glass measure if using a microwave on high power), combine the cream, milk, and reserved vanilla pod and scald.
^*
Stir a few tablespoons into the yolk mixture, then gradually add the remainder, stirring constantly. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, to just below the boiling point (170° to 180°E). Steam will begin to appear and the mixture will be slightly thicker than heavy cream. If a finger is run across the back of the spoon, it will leave a well-defined track. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into the strainer, scraping up the thickened cream that has settled on the bottom of the pan. Discard the vanilla pod (or rinse and dry it for future use).

Cool in an ice-water bath or the refrigerator until cold, at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Stir in the pineapple purée and the optional rum and Cobasan. Freeze in an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to ripen for at least 2 hours in the freezer before serving. If it has been held longer and is very hard, allow it to sit refrigerated or at room temperature until softened and creamy.

STORE

Frozen, up to 1 week. The ice cream has the best texture within 3 days of freezing but with the rum will maintain its texture for up to a week.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

See page 223.

GINGER ICE CREAM

T
his pale golden ginger ice cream delivers an intriguing counterpoint on the palate: creamy cold with a fiery background bite. Fresh ginger is first used to infuse in the syrup for the base and then strained, cut, puréed, and added to the chilled base for further intensity.

This ice cream is a sensational accompaniment to pear, peach, nectarine, and persimmon pies.