Fig, Cinnamon & Molasses Ice Cream

Ice cream is one of those things that can either be horrible — made of cheap fillers, refined sugars, and low-quality, hormone- and antibiotic-laden milk — or can be nothing short of lush.  It is, however, very difficult to find lush ice cream.  (The reason I joined a cowshare program to get top-notch, grass-fed, beyond-organic milk was so that I could bypass commercial products altogether.)  Now that I’ve been through several batches of various flavors and ratios, I can say that I’ve succeeded in my goal of making ice cream that tastes far, far better than anything you’ll find on the shelf…and is of far, far better quality.

If you’re aiming for Ice Cream Nirvana, here are some things to remember:

• Ice-cream makers are incredibly useful; the $30 or $40 you’ll spend on a machine is well worth it
• Read the instructions before using the machine — most of them should be frozen a full 24 hours before use so that they’ll be cold enough to turn the cream and milk into ice cream (I keep the bowl part of my ice-cream maker in the freezer so I can make a batch whenever the whim strikes me)
• Get the best cream and milk you can find, preferably from local, grass-fed cows (in Metro Detroit, we’re very fortunate to have Calder’s on many of our retail shelves; check out their “Natural Milk” and Half-and-Half for ice-cream-making purposes)
• Avoid using refined white sugar — instead, try honey, maple syrup, raw agave nectar, molasses, etc. (not only are these options much more nutrient-dense, they make intriguing flavor combinations with other ingredients)
• When it comes to using fruits, spices, nuts, creams, etc., let your creativity run wild!
• If you’re trying to lessen the amount of sweeteners you’re using, remember that pectin (found in jam) and alcohol can help lower the freezing point of the ice cream and therefore lessen the amount of sweetener you’ll need (aside from sweetening, the prime function of sugar is to lower the freezing point); also, using honey rather than sugar will mean that you’ll need less of it since honey is twice as sweet as sugar
• However you decide to sweeten your ice cream, in order to make its texture smooth and creamy, bear in mind that about 25% of the total ingredients needs to be sweeteners (for more on this subject, see food/science writer Harold McGee’s well-researched The Curious Cook)
• If you get your eggs from a good, clean source and don’t mind using them raw, adding egg yolks to homemade ice cream will make it even richer and creamier (and more nutritious)

Fig, Cinnamon & Molasses Ice Cream

Place the following in a blender and blend until smooth:

2 cups of half-and-half (for a thicker ice cream, use 1 cup of cream and 1 cup of half-and-half; for a naturally-lower-fat ice cream, use 1 cup of whole milk and 1 cup of half-and-half)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup fig jam (preferably without added sugar)
2 T. blackstrap molasses
1 egg yolk (optional)

Pour mixture into running ice-cream maker and proceed according to manufacturer directions.

Freeze and enjoy!

One nectarine, minus the pit and cut into rough chunks (keep the skin on)

One fig, minus the skin (it’s too tough to blend)

Enough white grape juice to make your preferred texture–start with about 1/2 cup

Blend together, adding more juice if necessary.

Enjoy!