Bake the Book
20130703-bakethebook-goatcheesenasturtium-icecream.jpg

[Photograph: Miana Jun]

Cooking with Flowers blends vibrant nasturtiums with soft, creamy goat cheese for an ice cream that's by turns grassy, peppery, and sweet.

Reprinted with permission by Miche Bacher. Copyright © 2013. Published by Quirk Books. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.

About This Recipe

Yield: makes about 2 quarts
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: Overnight, for freezing
Special equipment: Ice cream maker

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (8 ounces) soft goat cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 2/3 cup sugar, divided
  • 6 egg yolks
  • Pinch sea salt
  • 1/3 cup nasturtium flowers, finely chopped

Procedures

  1. Put goat cheese in a large (3-quart) heatproof container that has a lid.

  2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm milk and stir in half the sugar. Simmer until sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, whisk yolks with the remaining sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl. When the milk has absorbed all the sugar—but before it comes to a boil—begin to temper your eggs by slowly pouring half the warm milk mixture over the yolk mixture while whisking vigorously. Then slowly pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking vigorously. Heat mixture until it coats the back of a spoon and the temperature reaches 165°F on a candy thermometer.

  3. Slowly pour mixture over goat cheese, whisking to fully dissolve and incorporate it. Fold in chopped flowers and chill mixture for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Let ice cream sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.