Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream with Cardamom

Oh, how I love you, Earl Grey Tea.

This ice cream is an ode to my very favorite tea, and arguably, the most popular flavor of tea in the world.  A steaming cup of Earl Grey with a dash of milk can wake me up on a chilly, February morning, or power me through the dreariest of days.

One of the reasons that I am constantly striving to come up with new flavors of this particular ice cream is because it does not require an ice cream maker to prepare, just a bit of patience.  If you want to see the other flavors I’ve done, please visit my Old Posts page.  I’ve made several yummy options, including: strawberry, caramelized banana, coffee bean, pomegranate, and most recently, Orange Tea Ice Cream with Mandarin Puree and Cloves.

Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream with Cardamom
Serves 6. 

This recipe is my adaptation of a Mango Ice Cream that is featured in The Essential Asian Cookbook.  Please see my Resources page for more information on the original publication.

Ingredients:
»»  ½ cup caster sugar (see Method)
»»  about 1 prepared cup of an Earl Grey Tea blend,ºº made with boiling water and steeped for about 5 minutes, or to taste

(Steep the tea long enough to develop a full flavor, but stop before it gets bitter.  I didn’t steep this tea for very long, but steeping times can vary based on the blend of tea that you use.  For this cup of tea, I used 1 spoonful of a loose-leaf tea.)

»»  1 cup heavy whipping cream
»»  pinch of cardamom

ºº I used one of my favorite brands of Earl Grey Tea, by Ahmad Tea of London to make this ice cream.  The flavor is called Special Blend with Earl Grey and according to online descriptions, it is made with Orange Pekoe Tea, which gives the tea a great orange hue, but the color mellows out considerably once it becomes ice cream.  I also love that the bergamot, which is so characteristic of Earl Grey Tea, really comes through in this blend.

Equipment:
»»  food processor

»»  electric mixer

»»  large plastic food storage container with cover

Method:
Allow the hot tea to cool in a cup as the ice cream is prepared.

If needed, use your food processor before beginning the recipe to blend 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar into caster sugar, a superfine version of sugar.  Blend for a few minutes until you have a very fine, dusty consistency.

Next, combine the caster sugar, and 5-6 tablespoons of the brewed tea in a large bowl, reserving the rest of the cup to add in a few minutes.

Mix well, until the sugar is well-blended and dissolved.

Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  Then, very gently, fold the whipped cream into the sweetened Earl Grey mixture, until well incorporated.  Add a pinch of cardamom while you are folding in the whipped cream for a little extra hint of spice.  Just a tiny bit is enough!

Then, add the remainder of the prepared tea and stir gently to combine.  The ice cream should be soupy, but not overly watery.

Place the Earl Grey Tea ice cream in a plastic food storage container with a cover and freeze for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the ice cream is half-frozen.

Remove the ice cream from the freezer and process until smooth, about 1 minute.

Transfer ice cream back to the plastic container and allow the mixture to freeze completely.  (I have always left it in the freezer overnight.)

When you are ready to serve, allow the ice cream to thaw for a few minutes at room temperature before scooping it out into serving dishes.