[Rainey]

For some reason adapting a margarita to ice cream flashed into my head today while I was driving and I thougth I'd throw down the culinary gauntlet. Before I did, knowing that alcohol changes the freezing properties of ice cream, I thought I'd do a Google search and see if someone else had done the experimenting.

Someone did. And here it is.

Haven't tried it yet. I've promised Iz his favorite flavor and then I still want to try the Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream I read about last year but haven't gotten to try yet.

MARGARITA ICE CREAM
Makes about 2 quarts or 8 servings

This recipe is adapted from The Complete Idiot?s Guide to Homemade Ice Cream by Dick Warren with Bobbi Dempsey (Alpha, $14.95).

• 5 egg yolks
• Grated zest of 1 lime
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 /3 cup semisweetened lime juice (see Note)
• 1 /4 cup tequila

Bring a few inches of water in a saucepan to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a heatproof mixing bowl that will fit into the pan (forming a double boiler), beat yolks until light and fluffy. Mix in zest, cream and milk.

Fit bowl into pan (water should not touch bottom of bowl). Cook over simmering water, stirring almost constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon and registers 160 degrees on a thermometer. Remove from heat. Set bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice water to cool mixture quickly.

In another bowl, combine condensed milk, lime juice and tequila. Mix well. Add to cream mixture. Mix well. Refrigerate until mixture reaches 40 degrees. Transfer to an ice-cream maker; freeze according to manufacturer?s directions. Note: Semisweetened lime juice is sold in liquor stores and in the liquor aisles of super PER SERVING: 427 calories; 7 g protein; 30 g carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 29 g fat (17 g saturated); 227 mg cholesterol; 94 mg sodium
_________________
God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

[gingerpale]

This looks about as refreshing as it can possibly get!

The "too hard" problem made me quit trying last year--( Rich said "This is good, but it isn't ice cream.")
Recently I saw this: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/07/tips_for_making_1.html

which addresses the subject.

[Rainey]

Thanks for that link. I'm going to copy it into my ice cream recipes.

I find that some ice creams do freeze harder than others. And some have so much fat from the cream that they sorta coat your tongue (not as delightful as it sounds). It's really a delicate dance because you can have a basic mix (the Ben & Jerry's Sweet Cream Base is fantastic!) but when you add fruit to it something else happens. It can still taste sensational but it can also be a bear to scoop.

When my ice cream is too hard I make it do a little dance: 10 min in the fridge, 5 in the freezer (so the outside doesn't just melt and leave the core still rock hard), 10 more in the fridge, etc. until it's scoopable. I've learned this technique from the Nutmeg and Buttermilk ice cream we have at Thanksgiving.

Alas! I've discovered my recipe database didn't download his links but I'll copy the html in. Thanks again, gingerpale.
_________________
God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

[Rainey]

I made this last night. It has the flavor of a creamy marguerita. I want to serve it in salt rimmed bowls. I think if I do it again I will use less of the condensed milk and compensate with some additional milk and sugar.

The interesting thing is it was too much alcohol for the ice cream maker. I used the one with the sealed bowl and it never even made it slushy. At that point I didn't want to pull out the ice brine one and start all over so I just put the metal pot I did the custard in in the freezer and stirred it every half hour or so to distribute the ice crystals — the method I remember from the 50s. It got thick enough to pack in a container around midnight.

This morning it's got a very scoopable creamy consistency and a bit of a wallop. And I've got the two most adorable little Patron bottles a bit bigger than ink jars.
_________________
God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor