Summers are meant for ice cream. We love dark chocolate with mission figs, but have you ever tried white chocolate with golden figs? The idea of a rich chocolatey fig ice cream was too irresistible not to pursue, so we enlisted the expertise of Alice Medrich for a white chocolate ice cream recipe with spiced candied figs studding each spoonful. If you like the combination of white chocolate with California Figs, then this fig bar cookies recipe will easily win you over. Or, while you’re at it, we’ve got more Alice Medrich recipes including the best rugelach recipe and don’t miss how to make fig squares–this is a favorite Alice Medrich recipe of ours! But don’t take our word for it, pick up some Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California dried figs to make something sweet.
White Chocolate Ice Cream with Spiced Candied Figs
Equipment
- Fine mesh strainer
- Instant-read thermometer
- Ice cream machine
Ingredients
For the White Chocolate Ice Cream Base:
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 tsp vanilla
- 6 ounces white chocolate coarsely chopped
For Spiced Figs:
- 1 cup Sun-Maid California Calimyrna Dried Figs stemmed, chopped into 1/4" pieces, lightly packed
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/8 tsp ground cardamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
Make the white chocolate ice cream base:
- Set the strainer over a medium bowl near the stove for the finished ice cream base.
- In a 2-3 quart saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, honey, and salt until blended. Whisk in the milk and cream. Wash the whisk (with soap and water) and set it aside.
- Cook the mixture on medium heat (lowering the heat as the mixture approaches temperature), stirring constantly with a heatproof silicon spatula, sweeping the bottom, corners, and sides of the pan constantly to avoid scorching, until the mixture registers 178-180 F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Immediately scrape the mixture into the strainer set over the bowl. Stir in the vanilla. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
- Put the white chocolate into a small bowl. Ladle about 1 cup of the warm ice cream base over the chocolate and leave it for a minute to soften the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Scrape the chocolate mixture into the remaining ice cream base and whisk to blend. Set aside to cool. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Make the spiced candied figs:
- While the base is cooling. Combine the figs, water, honey, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pan, adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue simmering, stirring frequently at first and constantly at the end, until the liquid is completely reduced and the mixture resembles thick, sticky, chunky jam. Scrape into a bowl. Let cool and then refrigerate until needed.
Finish the ice cream:
- Freeze the ice cream according to the instruction on your machine. Scrape the finished ice cream into a container, alternating it with the figs. Fold the ice cream with figs together briefly. Cover the container and freeze until firm enough to scoop or until needed.
