Ice Cream

I’ve been worrying quite a bit lately, since the Venetian, my pregnant partner is not a big chocolate fan. She’ll eat white chocolate sometimes, she doesn’t mind milk chocolate, but she’s does not care at all for the dark stuff. For me, an insatiable chocoholic, the idea of offspring without real chocoholic tendencies was deeply troubling.

A couple of days ago, J.P. made some milk chocolate ice cream in production, and I brought a tub home. The Venetian ate some, and the baby inside her, normally a gentle soul, went absolutely nuts. It kicked, jumped, and probably did ecstatic cartwheels, such was the commotion in the belly for the next half hour. The Venetian was astonished, and it was the first proud moment for this Daddy (to be). I think there is very little doubt that the chocoholic gene has been passed on.

This is a delicate flavour for those with delicate tastes, when it comes to chocolate. Although we call the ice cream “Milk Chocolate,” we actually use 70% chocolate, just less of it. For our tastes, actual milk chocolate puts too much fat into the ice cream.

Murphys Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 125g sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/4 vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 1/4 teaspoon natural vanilla essence
• 230 ml cream
• 200 ml milk
• 60 g bittersweet (70% chocolate)

What to do:

1. Melt the 70% chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water or a microwave. Take care – chocolate burns easily!
2. Beat sugar and egg yolks together until pale yellow.
3. Add the vanilla bean to the milk and bring to a simmer.
4. Turn off the heat and remove the vanilla bean.
5. Add the milk to the melted chocolate in small parts, mixing thoroughly until fully combined.
6. Immediately beat the milk/chocolate into the egg and sugar mixture in a slow stream. Pour the mixture back into pan and place over low heat.  Stir until the custard thickens (around 60C).
7. Allow the chocolate custard to cool.
8. Whip the cream and fold into the mix.
9. Freeze the ice cream using a domestic ice cream machine.
10. Otherwise, cover and place in the freezer, stirring every few hours to break up the ice crystals.

6 Servings.

Notes:

1. This ice cream will only be as good as the chocolate you use. Find the best you can!
2. The boiler or container in which you melt the chocolate must be completely dry or the chocolate can clump.
3. To pasteurise the eggs, heat the custard to 73C and keep at that temperature for three minutes. Use a cooking thermometer, though! If the custard goes any higher than 76C, the eggs will scramble. Immediately cover and place in the freezer until cool.

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 Although I love green tea, I’m not sure that I’m really a fan of matcha. We had a request from a restaurant to make matcha ice cream, however, and we went to work. For green tea ice cream (or as a hot drink), I prefer using a green tea leaves, since the flavours are more complex and delicate, and I have a recipe for that here.

That being said, if you’ve had green tea ice cream in a Japanese restaurant and loved it, it’s almost certain it would be made with matcha. It’s a very different ice cream, more earthy with more kick, and I can understand why many people prefer it. Just so you know, matcha is usually quite strong, so I don’t add a huge amount. The strength could well vary, depending on the matcha you buy, so as always, use your tastebuds and if you want to add more, do so!

Here’s our version:

Murphys Matcha Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 130g sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 240 ml cream
• 220 ml milk
• 5 g matcha

What to do:

1. Put the milk in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
2. Remove from the heat.
3. Mix the matcha with the sugar until there are no lumps.
4. Beat the sugar and egg yolks together.
5. Beat the milk into the eggs and sugar in a slow stream.
6. Pour the mixture back into the pan, and place over low heat.
7. Stir continuously until the custard thickens slightly (around 65-70C) and just coats the back of a spoon. Don’t over-heat, though, because at around 76C you will scramble the eggs!
8. Immediately remove from the heat.
9. Transfer the custard into a small container, cover, and refrigerate until cool (5C).
10. Whip the cream until it has doubled in volume (you should have soft peaks – don’t over-whip).
11. Fold the cream (gently stir) into the custard.
12. Freeze using a domestic ice cream machine.
13. You can also just cover and place in the freezer, stirring every few hours.
14. If you’re using a domestic ice cream machine, transfer to a freezer-proof covered container when the ice cream has achieved a semi-solid consistency (around 15 minutes). Place it in the freezer, and continue to freeze until it is solid.

Notes:

1. To pasteurise the eggs, heat the custard to 73C and maintain that temperature for at least 5 minutes. Use a cooking thermometer, though! If the custard goes any higher than 76C, the eggs will scramble. Immediately cover and place in the freezer until cool.
2. For our regular green tea ice cream, I like to add crystalised ginger, so do so if you wish (add it when you’re freezing).
3. In case you’re having trouble finding matcha in Ireland, we bought our’s from the Espresso Warehouse.  

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 This is a recipe that JP, our production manager, came up with. What makes this ice cream so good is that combination of zest and preserves. I love any kind of citrus zest in cooking – it’s brilliant and fresh and can lift almost anything. The preserves add a richness and fullness that can’t be found with just lemon juice and zest. If you didn’t know what you were tasting, you would recognise lemon straightaway, but there might be some difficulty in placing the earthy undertones that makes this ice cream so distinctive. It’s far more complex than any lemon ice cream I have ever come across, and has regular appearances in our scooping cabinet.

MURPHYS LEMON CURD (LÍOMÓID) ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

• 130 g sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 240 ml cream
• 200 ml milk
• 50 g lemon curd
• Zest (grated peel) of one lemon
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice

What to do:

1. Beat in the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar until thick and pale yellow.
2. Bring the milk to a low simmer.
3. Beat the milk into the eggs and sugar in a slow stream.
4. Pour the mixture back into the pan and place over low heat.
5. Stir continuously until the custard thickens slightly (around 65-70C) and just coats the back of a spoon. Don’t over-heat, though, because at around 76C you will scramble the eggs!
6. Immediately remove from the heat.
7. Add the lemon curd to the warm custard, stirring until it is dissolved.
8. Add the lemon zest.
9. Cover the custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool overnight.
10. Strain the lemon zest from the cool custard (unless you like it in there).
11. Whip the cream until it has doubled in volume (you should have soft peaks – don’t over-whip).
12. Fold the cream (gently stir) into the custard.
13. Add the lemon juice.
14. Freeze using a domestic ice cream machine, or cover and place in the freezer, stirring every few hours to break up the ice crystals.
15. If you’re using a domestic ice cream machine, transfer to a freezer-proof covered container when the ice cream has achieved a semi-solid consistency (around 15 minutes). Place it in the freezer, and continue to freeze until it is solid.

Yield: 8 servings

Notes:

1. To pasteurise the eggs, heat the custard to 73C and maintain that temperature for at least 5 minutes. Use a cooking thermometer, though! If the custard goes any higher than 76C, the eggs will scramble. Immediately cover and place in the freezer until cool.

2. This is one of the recipes in our book.

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 Here’s another recipe from the book, and it’s one of my favourites. I tasted it first at an ice cream shop in Boston, and I didn’t expect to like it half as well as I did. Now, as I play around with the ice cream and learn more about chemistry, I know that the tannins in tea cut sweetness. Earl Grey tea generally has a mix of different black teas, including Darjeeling and China tea, but it is the bergamot that really make it distinctive. If you want an adult ice cream that will surprise your guests, this is one to try. It’s especially fantastic with a chocolate cake!

EARL GREY (TAE) ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

• 130g + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 240 ml cream
• 250 ml milk
• 6 Earl Grey tea bags or the loose leaf equivalent.

What to do:

1. 1. Beat the sugar and egg yolks together until thick and pale yellow.
2. Bring the milk to a simmer.
3. Add the tea and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
4. Bring back to a low simmer, stir, and remove the tea bags.
5. Beat the milk into the eggs and sugar in a slow stream.
6. Pour the mixture back into the pan and place over low heat.
7. Stir continuously until the custard thickens slightly (around 65-70C) and just coats the back of a spoon. Don’t over-heat, though, because at around 76C you will scramble the eggs!
8. Immediately remove from the heat.
9. Transfer the custard into a small container, cover, and refrigerate until cool (5C).
10. Whip the cream until it has doubled in volume (you should have soft peaks – don’t over-whip).
11. Fold the cream (gently stir) into the custard.
12. Freeze using a domestic ice cream machine, or cover and place in the freezer, stirring every few hours to break up the ice crystals.
13. If you’re using a domestic ice cream machine, transfer to a freezer-proof covered container when the ice cream has achieved a semi-solid consistency (around 15 minutes). Place it in the freezer, and continue to freeze until it is solid.

Yield: 8 servings

Note:

To pasteurise the eggs, heat the custard to 73C and maintain that temperature for at least 5 minutes. Use a cooking thermometer, though, and keep stirring! If the custard goes any higher than 76C, the eggs will scramble. Immediately cover and place in the freezer until cool

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 With the weather finally warm, it’s a perfect time for mint ice cream. This is a flavour that helped define my childhood – it was definitely my favourite for many years. It’s fresh and cooling, smooth and has a bit of chocolate for a satisfying crunch. It’s also one of the flavours you will find in our book!

I’m such a mint fan, that I like mint in just about anything. There are two types of mint growing in my garden, even though I’m not much of a gardener, and on a summer’s day I relish a minty treat of some description or a cooling drink made with the fresh leaves. If you have mint in your own garden, pick some for this recipe. If not, buy a bundle of fresh mint. Mint extracts are extremely volatile, difficult to control, and generally too aromatic for the palate, so fresh mint is definitely my recommendation.

Murphys Mint Ice Cream with Chocolate Shavings

Ingredients:

• 130g sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 240 ml cream
• 220 ml milk
• 10 g fresh mint leaves
• 20 g chocolate

What to do:

1. Put the mint and the milk in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
2. Remove from the heat.
3. Beat the sugar and egg yolks together until thick and pale yellow.
4. Beat the milk into the eggs and sugar in a slow stream. Don’t worry if bits of mint go in as well.
5. Pour the mixture back into the pan, with the mint still in it, and place over low heat.
6. Stir continuously until the custard thickens slightly (around 65-70C) and just coats the back of a spoon. Don’t over-heat, though, because at around 76C you will scramble the eggs!
7. Immediately remove from the heat.
8. Transfer the custard into a small container, cover, and refrigerate until cool (5C).
9. Use a sieve to strain and remove the mint leaves.
10. Create chocolate shavings using the chocolate and a grater or vegetable peeler.
11. Whip the cream until it has doubled in volume (you should have soft peaks – don’t over-whip).
12. Fold the cream (gently stir) into the custard.
13. Freeze using a domestic ice cream machine, adding the chocolate shavings when it’s fairly solid.
14. You can also just cover and place in the freezer, stirring every few hours, and again, add the chocolate shavings when it’s reasonably solid.
15. If you’re using a domestic ice cream machine, transfer to a freezer-proof covered container when the ice cream has achieved a semi-solid consistency (around 15 minutes). Place it in the freezer, and continue to freeze until it is solid.

Notes:

1. To pasteurise the eggs, heat the custard to 73C and maintain that temperature for at least 5 minutes. Use a cooking thermometer, though! If the custard goes any higher than 76C, the eggs will scramble. Immediately cover and place in the freezer until cool.
2. Instead of creating chocolate shavings, you can also melt the chocolate and pour it into the ice cream machine as its turning.

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 OK – gentle readers – before you throw a tantrum, and yell “What???? Blue cheese ice cream?” I will tell you a story. A couple of weeks ago, my brother and I were discussing the book launch, when he suggested we support Irish cheesemakers by serving up some of the excellent cheeses that Ireland increasingly has to offer. I have to admit I lost the head a bit, since the idea of serving something savoury at the launch of an ice cream and dessert book simply struck me as wrong. I departed in a huff.

The next day, however, I began thinking some more about what Sean said, especially since he usually is right. The idea of highlighting an Irish cheese or two was certainly appealing. Sean and I talked some more and decided that a cheese ice cream would make us both happy. Blue cheese, Sean suggested, might be the most interesting. I had heard about blue cheese ice cream being made in the UK, but had never tried it, and a chef we know had once suggested a cheese and caramelised shallot ice cream. So… I started playing.

I like the result, but the rest of production is split 50-50. I think it’s not something for everyone, but if you want to try something different, it might be for you.

And if you want to taste it without making it, come along to Murphys Ice Cream Killarney tomorrow evening for the book launch, or head to Dingle on Thursday. It will certainly give people something to talk about!

Murphys Blue Cheese and Caramelised Shallot Ice Cream

• 125g sugar (for custard)
• 2 tablespoons sugar (for shallots)
• 5 egg yolks
• 210 ml cream
• 200 ml milk
• 50 g mild blue cheese (I used Wicklow Blue)
• 2 “banana” shallots, peeled
• 1 tablespoon butter or oil

Yield: 6 Servings 

What to do: 

1. Quarter the shallots lengthwise and then chop into fine pieces.
2. Fry over medium-high heat with the butter, stirring constantly until the are golden.
3. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue to fry until the sugar has melted and the shallots have turned a dark golden brown.
4. Spread on a tray to cool.
5. Beat the rest of the sugar and egg yolks together until thick and pale yellow.
6. Bring the milk to a low simmer.
7. Beat the milk into the eggs and sugar in a slow stream.
8. Pour the mixture back into the pan and place over low heat.
9. Stir continuously until the custard thickens slightly (around 65-70C) and just coats the back of a spoon. Don’t over-heat, though, because at around 76C you will scramble the eggs!
10. Immediately remove from the heat.
11. Allow to cool completely.
12. Break up or chop the blue cheese and put in a blender with half of the custard – pulsing until smooth.
13. Stir the blue cheese/custard mix back into the rest of the custard, cover, return to the refrigerator and allow to sit for at least two hours.
14. Whip the cream until it has doubled in volume (you should have soft peaks – don’t over-whip).
15. Fold the cream (gently stir) into the custard.
16. Freeze using a domestic ice cream machine, adding the carmelised shallots when the ice cream is already quite solid.
17. Otherwise, cover and place in the freezer, again adding the shallots when it has become semi-solid.
18. If you’re using a domestic ice cream machine, transfer to a freezer-proof covered container when the ice cream has achieved a semi-solid consistency (around 15 minutes). Place it in the freezer, and continue to freeze until it is solid.

6 Servings.

Notes:

1. This ice cream will only be as good as the blue cheese you use. Find one you like! 
2. To pasteurise the eggs, heat the custard to 73C and keep at that temperature for three minutes. Use a cooking thermometer, though! If the custard goes any higher than 76C, the eggs will scramble. Immediately cover and place in the freezer until cool.

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 This is one of the best flavours I think we have ever made. We’ve tried chocolate truffle ice creams before, but the question has always been what is the best base to support them? A vanilla base can be a bit bland, and a chocolate base can over-power.

This base, designed by JP and Christophe in our production, has just a whisper of chocolate – so light and delicate that it has amazed the customers in our shops over the last month or so. It complements the dark chocolate truffles perfectly.

We used vanilla ganache truffles from the Skelligs Chocolate Company, which is based right here in Kerry. We found that using mixed-flavour truffles can confuse the palate, so we ordered 7 kilos of the one kind of truffle and started chopping. They thought we were nuts, but last week Sean received a phone call of thanks from the perplexed chocolatiers. Apparently quite a few people who tasted this ice cream in our Dingle or Killarney shops, jumped in their cars and drove out to Ballinskelligs to visit the factory shop (which is now also home to Cocoa Bean) for even more indulgence!

Murphys Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream

• 125g sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/4 vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 1/4 teaspoon natural vanilla essence
• 230 ml cream
• 200 ml milk
• 20 g bittersweet (70% chocolate)
• 100 g chopped chocolate truffles

Yield: 6 Servings 

What to do: 

1. Melt the 70% chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water or a microwave. Take care – chocolate burns easily!
2. Beat sugar and egg yolks together until pale yellow.
3. Add the vanilla bean to the milk and bring to a simmer.
4. Turn off the heat and remove the vanilla bean.
5. Add the milk to the melted chocolate in small parts, mixing thoroughly until fully combined. 
6. Immediately beat the milk/chocolate into the egg and sugar mixture in a slow stream. Pour the mixture back into pan and place over low heat.  Stir until the custard thickens (around 60C). 
7. Allow the chocolate custard to cool.
8. Whip the cream and fold into the mix.
9. Chop the chocolate truffles into small pieces, making sure you handle them as little as possible (to avoid them melting).
10. Freeze the ice cream using a domestic ice cream machine, adding the chopped truffles once the ice cream has become semi-solid.
11. Otherwise, cover and place in the freezer, stirring every few hours to break up the ice crystals. Again, add the chocolate truffles once it’s semi-solid (or they will sink to the bottom).

6 Servings.

Notes:

1. This ice cream will only be as good as the chocolate you use. Find the best you can! 
2. The boiler or container in which you melt the chocolate must be completely dry or the chocolate can clump.
3. To pasteurise the eggs, heat the custard to 73C and keep at that temperature for three minutes. Use a cooking thermometer, though! If the custard goes any higher than 76C, the eggs will scramble. Immediately cover and place in the freezer until cool.

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I grew up with toffees of various kinds – English toffees in white wrappers, salt water taffy, and toffee apples at farm fairs. Toffee is different from caramel in that it uses dark brown sugar or molasses along with butter. When put in ice cream, it makes for an unbelievably rich and sweet experience.

I like leaving big chunks of the cooled candy in the ice cream, although I have also experimented with adding the toffee while it is still warm and letting it melt into the freezing ice cream mix. It turns the finished product toffee-coloured and gives it a uniform texture and flavour that is great if you like a smooth ice cream. This recipe uses cold toffee. Just be ready – it does stick to the teeth!

MURPHYS TOFFEE (TAIFI) ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

• 130g sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 240 ml cream
• 200 ml milk
• 100 grams of toffee candy

What to do:

1. Beat the sugar and egg yolks together until thick and pale yellow.
2. Bring the milk to a low simmer.
3. Beat the milk into the eggs and sugar in a slow stream.
4. Pour the mixture back into the pan and place over low heat.
5. Stir continuously until the custard thickens slightly (around 65-70C) and just coats the back of a spoon. Don’t over-heat, though, because at around 76C you will scramble the eggs!
6. Immediately remove from the heat.
7. Allow to cool completely.
8. Break up the toffee candy into small pieces. (This might be easier if the toffee is cold!)
9. Whip the cream until it has doubled in volume (you should have soft peaks – don’t over-whip).
10. Fold the cream (gently stir) into the custard.
11. Freeze using a domestic ice cream machine, adding the toffee when the ice cream is already quite solid.
12. Otherwise, cover and place in the freezer, again adding the toffee when it has become semi-solid.
13. If you’re using a domestic ice cream machine, transfer to a freezer-proof covered container when the ice cream has achieved a semi-solid consistency (around 15 minutes). Place it in the freezer, and continue to freeze until it is solid.

Note:

To pasteurise the eggs, heat the custard to 73C and maintain that temperature for at least 5 minutes. Use a cooking thermometer, though, and keep stirring! If the custard goes any higher than 76C, the eggs will scramble. Immediately cover and place in the freezer until cool.

Yield: 8 servings

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