Our first test batch of the season, and a giveaway!
Today we made our first test batch for this coming spring/summer. We often test our new ice cream ideas at home in our Musso Lussino ice cream maker, in small one quart batches. This way, if a recipe goes terribly wrong (PG Tips ice cream, I’m talking to you), we haven’t wasted tons of ingredients and time. Today’s flavor: lime vanilla bean buttermilk ice cream with blueberry swirl.
Now, since we’re making this ice cream in January while we’re closed, we used your average grocery store (organic) blueberries. During blueberry season we get ours from either Lyon Farms or Snikroc; both farms have pick-your-own, which is a fun thing to do before it gets too unbearably hot. And I know maybe right now you’re thinking “man, those limes are kinda gross looking”, but Mrs. Parlour likes limes best when they’ve ripened a bit, until they’re more yellow than green. Buttermilk and fresh vanilla bean (not pictured) are also part of the equation.
First, we cooked down fresh blueberries with sugar and pressed them through a sieve to make a thick blueberry sauce.
While the sauce thickened up in the fridge, the ice cream base came together: first, cream, sugar, and vanilla bean:
Then lime zest, and a bit of cornstarch to thicken the custard.
After adding the buttermilk and some lime juice, we let the custard get nice and cold before churning.
Then came the slightly more challenging part; layering the just-churned ice cream with the blueberry sauce. See that blur in the top left corner of the photo? That’s my hand moving as quickly as I can make it.
We’re pretty happy with the end result, so we’re giving a pint away! Just leave us a comment letting us know what new flavors you’d like to see on the bus this year. We’ll choose a winner randomly by Monday at noon.
This looks amazing! I love how experimental you guys get, flavor-wise.
So, my husband loved your apple pie ice cream… have you considered doing other dessert ice creams? Cherry cobbler? Coffee cake? Strawberry rhubarb pie?
This looks delicious! I’d love to see a Banana Nutella flavor. As many hits as my Banana Nutella Brownies get on the website, I am sure it would be a huge hit! Or a Clementine flavor…”My Darlin’ Clementine”? 🙂
Oh my goodness! This looks absurdly good. Could you possibly do something with mint or peanut butter this summer? (Probably not both together.)
I would love to try this new flavor while I enjoy our unseasonably warm weather!
How about a beer-and-pretzels or beer-and-peanut flavor? Thinking that a reduction of a malty beer or some wort from a brewery would do well incorporated into the ice cream base, with some salty mix-in (or even perhaps, a swirl of salted caramel?!)
I haven’t had a chance to taste your ice creams yet (found out about you right as you were closing for the winter!), but after seeing this, I’m even more excited about trying everything you make when you reopen! As for new flavors, maybe anything with mint, apple, or orange?
My vote is for mango habenero!
That makes me smile 🙂
Have you done crunchy chocolate, with walnuts or salty almonds, maybe?
Lemon-blackberry with a little bit of gin…makes a delicious Jello shot, I’m sure it’d be delicious ice cream too!
I don’t know if you’ve done it before (I’m a new Parlour convert), but my vote would be for cantaloupe!
I’d like to see you make a gingerbread or molasses Kringle cookie based ice cream! I love the coffee you make!
Butt er pecan, peach & cherry chocolate
I’d love watermelon with some bits of chocolate mint. It would look like the seeds were in it!
I love your salted caramel icecream and would love to win the test batch.
ginger peach, strawberry basil. and more pistachio!
That looks incredible and I can’t wait to taste it. My suggestion would be anything involving peanut butter. Maybe peanut butter and banana or maybe a take on peanut sauce with a little hot nip in there.
I think the blueberry lime you just tested looks just about perfect!
I was going to suggest a peanut butter style one too. I agree with the spicy aspect, as well. How about a Spicy Thai Peanut Butter?
yum! you have done some great flavors already!
i’d like to see (eat): kiwi sorbet, creme brulee, habanero pineapple, maybe curry ginger?
I’d love a lemon raspberry mint, lemon custard raspberry swirl, mint chocolate chip, strawberry shortcake orrrr a blueberry pie. I like my fruits 🙂
Orrr green tea and lemon! What about sweet tea ice cream. I love my sweet tea….I wonder if it would even be good as an ice cream?
How about a dark chocolate base with a swirl of salted carmel? (The lime/buttermilk/blueberry looks fantastic!)
vegan peanut butter pretzel chocolate
Ginger peach with local candied ginger pieces and spicy pecan pieces in it.
Strawberry, mint & balsamic reduction in a vanilla base.
Roasted figs & balsalmic reduction with salted pistatios.
I would love to see a tiramisu flavor- yum!
I would love any coffee variation, maybe a vanilla caramel coffee or hazelnut coffee?
I love the items you already make.
guys guys guys…WHERE is the sticky toffee pudding??? (though I don’t imagine you can mail me a pint, sigh!)
I have made chicken wings with oolong and honey crust that were smoky and sweet. A dark smoky oolong tea and hone would be a nice combo in ice cream, I think.
Strawberry shortcake please!
Hmmmm…..have you guys done Guinness ice cream? Or Matcha. Or Thai Tea? This combo looks pretty fabulous too:)
Some sort of sweet cream with cinnamon or chocolate cherry. But I love all your flavors so anything works for me!
Vanilla bean ice cream with BACON BITS, topped with maple syrup
I’d like to see cardamom/rose water, lavender/vanilla bean, thai lime coconut or salt/pepper as additional flavors!
I am watching “Spaced” and they are making Lapsang souchong–that’s the tea I meant to suggest! Duh! Oolong, souchong…
Wow, sounds delicious, and super fresh for spring!! (as per usual)
Okay, everybody above this comment is eligible for the giveaway (except Daphne, because we know she’s not going to drive down from Boston for this pint if she wins). We’ll pick a commenter at random and e-mail them tonight. Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!
Coming late to this comment party, obviously. But oh my gosh…I really have to get back to Durham sometime for some Very Important Flavor Tasting…