Pretty Dishes

Even though it’s technically autumn already, in most places the weather still seems to be firmly planted in summer. Homemade ice cream is a wonderful way to relish the final days of sun before the leaves fall and signal the cozy sweater months to come.

I would categorize myself as pretty traditional when it comes to ice cream flavors, tending to go for some combination of vanilla, caramel, chocolate, and/or peanuts. I like my fruit fresh as a topper rather than as an ingredient, and I’m not big on experimental combinations. But I was intrigued when I saw corn featured in several frozen treat recipes this summer. I decided to take a leap of faith and give one a try. I’m pleased to report it was a satisfying endeavor.

I settled on this gelato from Bon Appétit. There was a bit of effort at the front end, but ultimately the investment was worth it. The corn flavor was subtle and somewhat deceptive—I asked several tasters to guess what flavor it was and all were stumped. Almond? Dulce de leche? There was a sweet-savory quality that was hard to place, but once the “secret” ingredient was revealed, it could be pinpointed in subsequent bites. Everyone was pleasantly surprised.

A little of this rich treat goes a long way, so it makes an elegant finish to a dinner party. I like the idea of serving scoops in little teacups.

Sweet Corn Gelato

The gelato was excellent on its own, but my favorite way to enjoy it was by enhancing the sweet and salty notes: I topped it with chocolate sauce (I recommend Santa Cruz Organic Chocolate Flavored Syrup) and roasted peanuts. This recipe makes a bit more than one quart of gelato—I stored mine in a Pyrex dish with lid, finishing it off within two weeks.

3 ears of sweet corn, preferably white, husked
3 1/2 cups whole milk, plus more as needed
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup heavy cream
8 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Cut the kernels from corn cobs; reserve the cobs. Break each cob into a few pieces. Bring the milk to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add the kernels and cobs. Remove the mixture from the heat, cover, and let steep for 45 minutes.

Remove the cobs from the milk and discard. Puree the mixture in batches in a blender. Set a coarse strainer over a large bowl. Strain the mixture and discard the kernels. Add more milk, if necessary, to measure 3 1/2 cups.

Bring strained milk, 1 1/4 cups of the sugar, and cream to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved.

Set a strainer over a medium bowl; set aside. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Whisk the remaining sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk in the hot milk; return to the saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat until the custard registers 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.

Immediately pour the custard through the strainer. Place the custard bowl in the water bath. Let stand until cold, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate the custard for at least 6 hours or, preferably, overnight.

Process the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a container; freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.