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Cream Cheese Ice Cream

Rafael Gonzalez, a Cuban sous-chef at Jean Georges, thought I was prejudiced against Cuban flavor combinations. To prove him wrong, I made this ice cream to pair with Coconut Pain Perdu (page 127) and Papaya-Lime Compote (page 251). It’s got that faintly sour edge of cream cheese, which never seems to overpower other flavors, and a great mouthfeel.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (300g) whole milk
1/2 cup (40g) nonfat milk powder
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
Generous 2 tablespoons (37g) light corn syrup
16 ounces (453g) cream cheese, cut into pieces
Juice of 1 lemon

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Set up an ice bath in a large bowl.

    Step 2

    Put the milk, milk powder, sugar, and corn syrup in a saucepan and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

    Step 3

    Put the cream cheese in a medium bowl and pour in the hot milk mixture. Mix with an immersion blender until smooth. Add the lemon juice and mix again. Strain into a medium bowl and set into the ice bath. Chill completely, stirring often.

    Step 4

    Freeze in an ice cream maker. Pack into a plastic container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

Reprinted with permission from Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets from a Four-Star Pastry Chef by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Copyright © 2008 by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Published by Crown Publishing. All Rights Reserved. Johnny Iuzzini,, executive pastry chef of the world-renowned Jean Georges restaurant in New York City, won the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2006. This is his first book. Roy Finamore, a publishing veteran of more than thirty years, has worked with many bestselling cookbook authors. He is the author of three books: One Potato, Two Potato; Tasty, which won a James Beard Foundation award; and Fish Without a Doubt.__
TagsIce CreamFrozen DessertDessertCream CheeseCheeseDairyGluten FreeNut FreeMake AheadBlenderCookbooks
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