Honey & Spice Ice Cream

This ice cream tastes like Christmas. I love my honey ice cream and was curious about this variation. I am enjoying it, but with every bite I imagine evergreen wreaths decorated with red bows and cinnamon sticks, oranges hung with cloves and gingerbread men. This would be excellent with gingerbread cake, or even a tart apple pie. I am going to have to eat the rest of it with ‘summer’ food in order to brand it in my head for warm weather.

I thought it would show small brown specks from the spices, but there was hardly any. It looks suspiciously white, which adds to the surprise of the strong flavour. It is sweet, and both the cloves and cinnamon are each discernible.

Honey & Spice Ice Cream
2 C milk
20 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 whole egg
3 egg yolks
¼ C sugar
¼ honey
1 ¾ C heavy cream

1. Pour the milk into a medium saucepan with the cloves and cinnamon sticks. Heat to simmering. Remove from heat and allow to infuse for at least an hour, or overnight.
2. Beat the egg, egg yolks and sugar and beat until frothy and thick.
3. Heat the spiced milk to the scalding point.
4. Beating the eggs all the time, pour the hot milk into the eggs.
5. Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium low heat, stirring all the time. When the custard coats the spoon, remove from the heat. Stir in the honey. Allow to cool.
6. When cool, strain the custard through a very fine sieve, removing the spices.
7. Cover and refrigerate overnight or until thoroughly chilled.
8. Stir in the whipping cream. Churn in an ice cream maker.