A sophisticated ice cream for all seasons! Soft fig puree turns into a supple ripple to swirl into vanilla ice cream for a dreamy treat. Port and honey keep the ripple soft even when frozen, and a touch of orange zest and cinnamon give it a mulled wine vibe. Commercial ice cream shops will have an instant classic with this fig ripple ice cream recipe.
Quick Hack for the Ripple Ice Cream Recipe
Blue Ribbon California Fig ingredients will become your go-to solutions for incorporating figs quickly into your ice cream. For the ripple ice cream recipe below, we use fig puree that starts with whole figs ground until smooth with fig seeds sparkling throughout. We also make Blue Ribbon Fig Slurry, which is even thinner and smoother, but the thicker puree is what we use here.
Figs in Commercial Ice Cream Flavors
There are so many ways to include figs into your ice cream shop’s menu. Infuse Blue Ribbon diced figs so that each piece is full of spiced flavor like in this White Chocolate Ice Cream with Spiced Figs from chocolatier Alice Medrich. Infuse diced figs into hot cream to steep the figgy flavor into a dreamy, creamy smooth Fig Gelato. Diced figs also make an appearance in this Fig Cinnamon Coffee Ice Cream. Chef Joanne Weir infuses diced figs in armagnac before pulverizing it for a boozy Fig Armagnac Ice Cream. Or, mix fig puree into a Fudgy Fig Ice Cream Cake.
But, First
For the ripple ice cream, use the vanilla base recipe below, or use whatever ice cream base recipe you like, keeping with the 1 quart weight indicated below, and proceed with making the port wine fig ripple.
Note: homemade ice cream is best eaten within the first few days of being made, but will keep for a month or two in the freezer.
Port Wine Fig Ripple Ice Cream
Ingredients
Vanilla Ice Cream Base (or use 1 quart vanilla ice cream base of your choice)
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 1/2 vanilla bean , split lengthwise + scraped
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
Fig Port Ripple
- 1/2 cup Blue Ribbon Fig Puree
- 1/2 cup ruby port wine
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 TBSP granulated sugar
- 1 TBSP honey
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Base
- In a medium saucepan, heat the half and half with the vanilla bean and scrapings until steaming and small bubbles appear around the sides of the pan. Cover and steep for 30-60 minutes.
- Pour the heavy cream into a quart-sized heat-proof container, such as a mason jar, and set aside. If you have an instant-read thermometer, have it handy.
- Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl set on a damp towel to stabilize it. Add the sugar and salt, whisking to combine. Reheat the half and half to a bare scald. Whisking constantly with one hand, pour the hot dairy very slowly into the yolks. (This is called tempering and prevents the yolks from scrambling.)
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and set over a medium-low flame. Cook, stirring constantly with a heat-proof silicone spatula, scraping the sides and bottom of the pot, until the custard just begins to 'stick' (or form a thickened film) on the bottom of the pot (you may have to tilt the pan to see it), or registers 170º on an instant-read thermometer, 5-10 minutes.
- Immediately pour the custard into the container of cold cream, stir to combine, and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours,preferably overnight.
- Place the ice cream base in the freezer for 30 minutes to get it really cold. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, then process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer instructions. 'Cure' in the freezer for at least 2 hours for a firmer consistency.
Make the Port Wine Fig Ripple
- In a medium-sized saucepan with high sides, combine the fig paste, port, sugar, honey, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking to combine the ingredients into a smooth slurry. When the mixture starts to bubble, reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the fig mixture has thickened to a loose jam and some of the alcohol has cooked off, 3-5 minutes. Scrape the fig puree into a heat-proof container and chill until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 1 week.
- Place a loaf pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes while you churn the ice cream as directed.
Assemble the Ice Cream
- When the ice cream has churned, scrape one-third of the ice cream into the pan. Dollop one-third of the fig puree over the ice cream in tablespoon-sized blobs. Repeat with the remaining ice cream and fig mixture,working quickly so the ice cream doesn't melt. Use a chopstick or butter knife to swirl the layers together a few times.
- Return the loaf pan to the freezer and freeze until the ice cream is firm, at least 4 hours and up to several weeks. For longer storage, press a piece of parchment paper to the surface of the ice cream to discourage ice crystals from forming and wrap tightly.
