Roasted Rhubarb Ice Cream
Perfectly smooth and creamy homemade rhubarb ice cream, made with roasted rhubarb puree added to a vanilla ice cream base, makes a delicious treat in the spring and summer.
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Equipment
- Electric Mixer (Stand or Hand-Held)
- Ice Cream Maker
- Food Processor or Ninja
Ingredients
Rhubarb Puree
- 12 oz rhubarb, fresh or frozen (about 3 cups chopped)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Vanilla Ice Cream
- 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 5 large egg yolks (save the whites for another use)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp orange liqueur or vodka (optional, see note)
- 2 drops "soft pink" gel food coloring (optional, see note)
Instructions
Rhubarb Puree
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chop the rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces, and spread it out onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle the rhubarb with the sugar and lemon juice.
- Roast the rhubarb until soft, and the edges are starting to caramelize, about 15-20 minutes for fresh rhubarb, and 25 minutes if the rhubarb is still frozen. (Instead of roasting, you can also simmer the rhubarb, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan on the stove, stirring frequently, until the fruit is very soft, although this is easier to do with frozen rhubarb, rather than fresh.)
- Let the rhubarb cool for a few minutes, then puree in a ninja or small food processor until smooth. Press the rhubarb puree through a mesh strainer to remove any stringy pulp (I removed about 1/4 cup of pulp); this will keep your ice cream so smooth. Set aside until needed.
Ice Cream
- In a saucepan, whisk together 1 cup of the cream with the milk, vanilla, egg yolks, sugar, brown sugar and salt.
- Heat the custard over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to steam and just bubble slightly around the edges. Do not let it boil. Note that it will be very thin, and will not thicken at all.
- Remove the custard from the heat, and pour through a mesh strainer to remove any bits of cooked egg.
- Whisk the strained rhubarb puree into the custard. If you like, whisk in a few drops of "soft pink" gel food coloring for a pretty blush color.
- Refrigerate the custard until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight to let more flavor develop.
- After chilling the custard, use an electric mixer to whip the remaining 1 cup of cream until soft peaks form. Gently whisk the whipped cream into the chilled custard.
- Pour the custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. During the last minute of churning, add the vodka.
- Transfer the churned ice cream to a lidded 2-quart container, and freeze until firm enough to scoop, at least 8 hours.
Notes
Notes
- When fresh rhubarb is not in season (early spring/summer), you can usually find bags of frozen chopped rhubarb at your local Sprouts Farmers Market.
- Without the food coloring, your ice cream can vary in color from a greenish/tan color to pink, depending on how green or red your rhubarb is.
- While the alcohol is optional, it's a helpful ingredient when making homemade ice cream. The alcohol lowers the freezing point of the ice cream, helping to prevent ice crystals from forming in order to maintain a smooth, creamy texture.
- For a no churn rhubarb ice cream recipe, make the rhubarb puree as instructed, then cool completely.
- Whisk together the chilled rhubarb puree with 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 tbsp orange liqueur or vodka (alcohol is optional).
- Whip 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer until soft fluffy peaks form, then fold the whipped cream into the rhubarb mixture.
- Freeze until firm enough to scoop.
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