There really are two Washingtons. The one that people outside of the area read about, involving politics, power, museums, and monuments.
And the one that the rest of us live in. The one that is filled with the daily events that most families share: school, work, laundry and, of course, eating. Most days those worlds feel very separate, but once in a while they connect.
One such day for us was inauguration day. On that day, we, along with millions of other Americans were swept up in the excitement and optimism of a new age. And even on a day with temperatures in the 20s, how better to celebrate than with ice cream?
The idea from this dish came to me when Chloe saw a pomegranate on the counter and called it an Obamagranate. Well, I thought she did, anyway. After asking her about it and getting led through a series of puzzling comments that seemed to make perfect sense to her 4-year old mind but left me befuddled, I gave up on determining whether she had actually said it. But an idea was born.
The result was a delicious, tangy, creamy dessert. We threw in a few macadamia nuts because I always like a bit of crunch. And fittingly, macadamias are native to Indonesia, and are grown commercially in Kenya and Hawaii, so using macadamias seemed an appropriate way to honor our new president's diverse roots (and those of Chloe's teacher, who is from Hawaii). I left the macadamias whole so that they would be easy for those who didn't care for them to take out, but if everyone likes nuts, I would recommend chopping them a bit.
My only disappointment was that the ice cream lost the beautiful color of the pomegranate in the process, so I made a pomegranate syrup to drizzle on top. It was tangy and sweet and would be good on vanilla ice cream, too, but it is completely optional. The ice cream without it was still a fantastic treat. So here's the recipe, in honor of the upcoming President's Day holiday.
Obamagranate Macadamia Ice Cream with Pomegranate Syrup
Serves 6
15 minutes preparation time
30 minutes cooking time, plus time for chilling
For the ice cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon lemon zest
approximately 2/3 cup pomegranate juice (from 1-2 pomegranates) (see note)
1 cup sugar, divided
4 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup macadamia nuts, toasted (see note)
For the pomegranate sauce:
juice of 1 pomegranate, approximately 1/2 to 2/3 cups
equal amount of granulated sugar
Mix the cream, milk, and lemon zest in a small pot, bring to a boil and immediately remove from the heat. Let sit for approximately 30 minutes to cool.
In a separate pot, mix the pomegranate juice and 2/3 cup of the sugar and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream mixture.
In a heat-proof bowl, mix together the egg yolks, the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, and the salt. Add the cream mixture slowly, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the stove and cook over medium heat until the custard has thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon or it registers 170 degrees on a thermometer. Let the custard cool, then add the vanilla.
Chill the custard in the refrigerator for several hours until it is completely cooled and then freeze it according to the instructions of your ice cream maker. Add the macadamias about five minutes before the end of the process. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until the ice cream is firm.
To make the syrup, mix the pomegranate juice and sugar in a small pan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves. Continue to let the mixture simmer until it begins to thicken, another 10 to 15 minutes. Pour it into a small jar and let it cool in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Drizzle on top of the ice cream.
Note: To squeeze the juice from the pomegranate, leave the skin on and cut it in half through the middle. Squeeze it as you would a lemon or lime. I used an old-fashioned lemon squeezer and then pressed any seeds that still retained their juice through a metal sieve. Some of the juice may squirt out, so I recommend putting the squeezer in the bottom of a deep bowl.
To toast the nuts, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they brown slightly, about 5 minutes.
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Hey! I could have sworn I've been to this blog before but after checking through some of the post I realized it's new to me. Anyhow, I'm definitely delighted I found it and I'll be book-marking and checking back frequently!
Posted by: Auravie | September 18, 2013 at 12:11 PM