Green tea ice cream and mochi ice cream
Ingredients for green tea ice cream:
- 2 (30 ml) tablespoons matcha of good quality
- 2 (30 ml) tablespoons boiling water
- 1 large of extra-large egg and 1 yolk
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 and 1/4 cup (300 ml) non-fat milk
The quality of the ingredients is key in making gelato, so, if possible, use organic milk and cream and fresh, pastured eggs.
In a small bowl, mix matcha and water: the result is a dense paste. Let it cool. In a bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk and sugar. In the meantime, heat milk and cream in a saucepan until quite hot, but not boiling. Temper the eggs with a bit of the hot liquid, then slowly add the rest, while whisking.
Whisk in the matcha: It takes a bit of patience to dissolve the matcha into the liquid. Place a tea strainer over the saucepan and slowly pour most of the liquid through it. The last half cup or so may show some undissolved matcha. I used the chasen to do a bit more whisking here; you can use your whisk. Pour the remaining liquid through the strainer. The matcha should be totally dissolved.
Put the saucepan on very low heat, and stir the ice cream base almost constantly. You will notice a thickening. When a film forms over the back side of the stirring spoon (I use a wooden one), draw your finger across. If the line stays clear, the custard is ready. (If it overheats, it will curdle.) Remove the pan from the heat and place in a cold water bath, while stirring the custard. Once cool, cover and place in the fridge until thoroughly chilled. Churn in your ice cream maker until it reaches the consistency of gelato. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Store leftover ice cream in a lidded container (the surface of the ice cream protected with a layer of wax paper) kept in the freezer. Take out of the freezer well in advance, so the ice cream has time to soften before it is served.
The recipe for mochi comes from this post from Chocolate & Zucchini, with a couple of adjustments. Before making mochi, you may want to watch the video it references. I used the recipe given in Clotilde's post post with a couple of adjustments, and used the microwave method.
Ingredients for mochi:
- 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) sweet white rice flour (also called glurinous rice flour)
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- a pinch of matcha (I will use a bit more next time)
- 150 ml (2/3 cup) cold water
- tapioca starch for dusting (corn starch can be substituted)
To make mochi, I followed the microwave method described in the post from Chocolate & Zucchini. I made more than ten dumplings, since the ice cream morsels were smaller than the strawberries in the post.
Keep the green tea ice cream in the freezer until you are ready to assemble the mochi ice cream. With the help of a melon baller, carve out a small half sphere of ice cream and quickly form a dumpling around it.
As each dumpling is done, put it in tray in the freezer. Take the mochi ice cream out about 10 minutes before you plan to serve them so that they have time to soften.
