Hojicha Ice Cream (Print Version)

Creamy, elegant ice cream with nutty roasted green tea flavor

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 2 cups heavy cream
02 - 1 cup whole milk

→ Tea

03 - 3 tablespoons hojicha loose leaf tea or 4 hojicha tea bags

→ Egg Mixture

04 - 4 large egg yolks
05 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
06 - Pinch of fine sea salt

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Combine milk and heavy cream in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until steaming but not boiling.
02 - Add hojicha tea to the hot cream mixture. Reduce heat to low, cover, and steep for 10 minutes to extract full flavor.
03 - Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing the tea leaves to extract maximum flavor. Return the infused liquid to the saucepan.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt until pale and slightly thickened.
05 - Slowly pour approximately 1 cup of warm hojicha mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to gently raise the temperature without scrambling the eggs.
06 - Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hojicha-infused milk, stirring to combine.
07 - Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, reaching 170 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
08 - Strain the custard into a clean bowl to remove any lumps. Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until completely chilled.
09 - Transfer the chilled custard to an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer instructions until reaching soft-serve consistency.
10 - Transfer the churned mixture to an airtight freezer container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The nutty, almost caramel-like warmth of hojicha transforms into something ethereal when frozen, surprising your palate with each spoonful.
  • It's sophisticated enough to impress guests but approachable enough that you'll find yourself making it on quiet afternoons just for yourself.
02 -
  • Don't skip the straining step after cooking the custard; cooked egg flecks will ruin the silky mouthfeel you're after, and no amount of churning will fix it.
  • The hojicha flavor becomes more pronounced as the ice cream freezes, so if your custard tastes like it could use more tea intensity, trust that it will develop once churned and frozen.
03 -
  • If hojicha powder is all you can find, whisk two tablespoons directly into the warm cream and milk, let it settle for five minutes, then carefully decant so you don't get powder in your custard.
  • Keep your ice cream maker's bowl in the freezer at all times during ice cream season; pulling it out at the last minute is the reason custards don't freeze properly.
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