A Nice Cuppa

With summer winding up and the cool weather fast approaching, I’d say there’s just enough light left in the evening to make a batch of tea-flavored ice cream. I came across a recipe for tea-flavored ice cream in BHG magazine. It’s got an interesting base–evaporated milk and heavy cream–whose richness reminds me of tres leches, that Cuban rice pudding delight. My first round included cinnamon, which I would strongly recommend with chai tea.

BHG’s Ice Cream to a Tea
taken from BHG August 2007
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 tea bags
1/2 pint whipping (heavy) cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

In medium saucepan cook while stirring evaporated milk and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Continue heating mixture just until it simmers. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes (or longer, if you would like more than just a hint of tea flavor). Remove tea bags, squeezing liquid from bags. Cover and refridgerate for two hours. Stir in whipping cream and vanilla. Freeze in 1-quart ice cream freezer as directed. Allow to set in freezer (2-4 hours) before serving.

If you don’t have a ice cream maker yet, this is the perfect opportunity to begin your X-mas list. In the meantime, may I suggest Stoneyfield Farm’s Vanilla Chai ice cream? In the vast world of funky desserts, this is definitely going to be your favorite. It’s quite spicy; it actually tastes like Oregon Chai mix, which is my mix of choice. I would serve it plain, with whipped cream, or in a sugar cone–you really shouldn’t fuss with it too much. Just like that last weekend of summer.