Monica Munteanu | On 29, May 2013

As tea lovers ourselves, we know summer makes it really difficult for you to enjoy your favorite hot beverage. Let’s face it: it’s not the same as when sitting in your favorite armchair, cuddling up under a blanket and sipping peacefully with the sound of the rain hitting the window. Now that’s a picture to hang on your wall!

When dealing with the rising temperatures, the last thing you want is to get near anything that’s remotely warm, not to mention boiling. Ice tea is a very refreshing option, but you can’t really turn it into a ritual. Something is certainly missing. So what is there left to do?

How about a big bowl of delicious ice cream? Remember when you where a child and that’s all you needed to be happy? Now, we have found a way to bring these two things together and give you an amazing treat for you to enjoy during the heat.

Turn your favorite tea into a tasty frozen desert. It’s easy to make and ready in just a few hours (freezing time included). Here are 6 simple steps:

1. Select your tea

2. Select an ice cream recipe as a base

3. Warm the cream to your tea’s brewing temperature

4. Infuse about twice as much tea as you normally would for the volume of liquid

5. Strain and chill

6. Make the ice cream according to your recipe, replacing the cream with your creamy tea infusion

There you have it! Delicious tea ice cream waiting in the freezer for you to come home after a long day’s work.

You didn’t think we would just leave you with that, did you? We have picked out 3 more amazing recipes that are a bit more out of the ordinary. Are you ready to excite your taste buds?

1. White chocolate delight

White Chocolate-Green Tea Ice Cream: now here’s a combo we bet you’ve never thought of trying out. It’s quite yummy, if we may say so.

Ingredients:

· 8 ounces high-quality white chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

· 2 cups light cream

· 1 cup heavy cream

· 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

· 5 large egg yolks, at room temperature

· 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

· 2 tablespoons matcha powder

Preparation:

Place the white chocolate pieces in a large heatproof bowl. Set aside. Combine the light cream, heavy cream, and vanilla extract in a medium-size saucepan. Over medium heat, bring the mixture just to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the yolks until well blended. In a small bowl, blend the brown sugar with the matcha powder until there are no green streaks, then whisk the sugar mixture into the egg yolks, blending well. Add 1/4 cup of the hot cream mixture to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Add another 1/4 cup and whisk again. Carefully pour this mixture back into the saucepan, mix well, and cook over medium heat until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 170°F. Do not boil, or the custard will curdle.

Remove the custard from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl of chopped white chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted, then let the custard cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. Cover the custard and chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer until firm, at least 8 hours. Remove from the freezer 20 minutes before serving.

2. Irish summer dream

Vanilla-black tea whiskey ice cream: this is a match made in heaven. If you don’t believe us, just go ahead and try it!

Ingredients:

· 1 quart half and half (or heavy cream, whole milk or any combination or substitution thereof, depending what you have and how much fat you want. More fat = better texture, but we all have our limits)

· 3/4 cup sugar

· pinch of salt

· 8 tablespoons loose leaf vanilla black tea

· 4 egg yolks (save the whites for an omelet or meringue)

· shot of whiskey

Preparation:

Heat liquid in a pot over medium heat. Add sugar and salt, while stirring to dissolve. When hot, turn off the heat and add the tea leaves. Allow to steep for several minutes so the flavor develops, but before it becomes bitter. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove all traces of tea leaves. Return the mixture to stove over low heat.

Separate the eggs, and whisk the yolks together in a small bowl. Temper the eggs by gradually adding some of the warm milk mixture, as you continue to whisk. Then add the egg yolk mixture to the pot. Cook over low heat, stirring with a silicone spatula slowly but continuously for 10-15 minutes. Yes, that whole time. You’re waiting until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. This likely won’t happen until the 10 minute mark.

Allow to cool completely. Place it in an ice bath if you want to speed up the process. When it is cool, refrigerate (at least an hour or two, or overnight if you can wait that long). Then freeze according to the directions for your ice cream maker. When the custard reaches milkshake consistency, add whiskey. Allow to churn a few more minutes before transferring to an appropriate container to go in the freezer

3. Raw ambrosia

Raw green-tea ice cream: this one is not too hard to make and pretty easy to enjoy.

Ingredients:

· 1 cup cashews (soak 2 hr)

· 1 cup almond milk

· 1/2 cup spinach

· 1/2 cup raw honey

· 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)

· 1 tsp vanilla extract

· 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt

· 1/2 cup green tea (ingredients below)

· 1/2 cup water

· 1 packet green tea

Preparation:

Rinse and drain soaked cashews. Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Pour into an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Cut open a small packet of green tea, and stir in with the water. Set aside to “brew” for 20 min. Transfer into a blender with your ice cream base. When the mix is blended pour it into a container and freeze for a few hours.

4. Indian flavor

Masala Chai Ice Cream Recipe: a perfect way to spice up your life.

Ingredients:

· 1 cup light cream (equal to 1/2 a pint of light cream)

· 1 chilled small can of sweetened, condensed milk (14 oz.)

· 4 whole cloves

· 2 crushed green cardamom pods

· 2 crushed peppercorns

· 1 tsp. vanilla extract

· 1 cinnamon stick

· 1 grape-sized piece peeled, chopped ginger

· 2 tbsp. black tealeaves (preferably Assam)

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except for the black tealeaves in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring often.

Add the black tea leaves and simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring often. Strain the mixture and chill until cold. Prepare in ice cream maker as directed.

5. Green power

Green tea ice cream recipe: those of you who love pure tea are going to adore this recipe!

Ingredients:

· 2 tbsp green tea powder

· 3/4 cup whipped heavy cream

· 3/4 cup milk

· 2/3 cup granulated sugar

· 3 egg yolks

Preparation:

Stir 2 tbsp of granulated sugar into a bowl of green tea powder and set aside. Put the eggs in a separate bowl, empty the residual sugar in it and whisk the mixture thoroughly.

Warm the milk in a deep-bottomed pan, but be careful not to boil it. Ladle a small amount of this warm milk into the sweetened green tea mixture and stir them all together into a smooth and uniform paste.

Add the paste to the rest of the warm milk in the pan along with the whisked egg, then stir the mixture and heat it over slow flame, being really careful not to boil it.When the mixture thickens and coats the spoon, turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature and afterwards stir it, put it in a vessel and let it chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before putting it in the freezer.

When the ice cream freezes completely, take it out and break the ice crystals with a wooden spatula and stir it briskly, putting it back to the freezer. Continue this process until the ice cream turns smooth and creamy. Return the ice cream for the final time and let it set for an hour.

This is all you need to know to be a true master baker this summer and stay in touch with your tea loving roots. Get you spoon ready, set and dig in!