GREEN TEA ICE CREAM

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

IFIND that loose tea leaves work better in this recipe than green tea
in bags. Also, green tea can vary in strength depending on the brand; for
this recipe, the stronger, the better.

2 cups milk
3 tablespoons green tea leaves
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream

Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan. Remove from the
heat. Stir in the tea leaves, cover, and set aside to steep for 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, beat the sugar into the egg yolks
until thickened and pale yellow. Beat in the cornstarch.

Strain the milk to remove the tea leaves and slowly beat the warm milk
into the egg yolks and sugar. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and
place over low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until
the custard thickens slightly. Be careful not to let the mixture boil or the
eggs will scramble. Remove from the heat and pour the hot tea custard
through a strainer into a large, clean bowl. Allow the custard to cool slightly,
then stir in the cream. Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight.

Stir the chilled custard, then freeze in 1 or 2 batches in your ice cream machine
according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When finished, the ice
cream will be soft but ready to eat. For firmer ice cream, transfer to a
freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours.

Variations

ASIA SPICE ICE CREAM Add ½ teaspoon crushed Szechwan peppercorns
to the warm custard along with the cream. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

GREEN FORTUNE ICE CREAM Add ½ cup crumbled fortune cookies to
the machine when the ice cream is semifrozen. Allow the machine to mix
in the cookies. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

SWEET AND SOUR ICE CREAM Add the grated zest of 1 lemon to the
warm custard along with the cream. Proceed with the recipe as directed.