This rhubarb crumble ice cream is a variation of the rhubarb crumble frozen yogurt I made two summers ago. Thanks to the rhubarb, it’s sweet and tart, but the crumble and the ice cream base keep it rich and creamy.
The other day my sister asked me whether I’d been using my ice cream maker this summer, and I realized that the answer was no. So I got to work fixing that, while there’s still time. That makes it sound like I’m contemplating my own mortality as it relates to ice cream consumption, but I just mean that I don’t eat much ice cream when the weather cools down. I need hot temperatures to get me in the mood for frozen treats. So there was no time to waste!
So along with this rhubarb crumble ice cream, I also recently made real mint chocolate chip ice cream. Writing this has made me realize that both flavors feature products from my backyard garden. Maybe I should only make ice creams that have ingredients I grow myself, but I’m not sure if the world is ready for zucchini, tomato, cucumber, or lettuce ice cream. I’d need to get a lot more strategic with my gardening. Maybe next year I can do some strawberry, blackberry, or raspberry ice cream. Until then, I’ll stick with rhubarb and mint.
Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream
Rhubarb compote
1 pound fresh or frozen rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp (3 oz) white sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the rhubarb, sugar, and lemon juice in an 8-inch-square glass or ceramic baking dish, stirring to mix well. Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft and falling apart.
Measure out 1-1/2 cups of the compote and refrigerate to cool; refrigerate the rest of the compote for another use.
Crumble
2/3 cup (3 oz) white all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp (2 oz) unsalted butter
1/3 cup (2 oz) dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch salt
Combine the crumble ingredients in a bowl and use your hands to rub the butter into the flour, so that the mixture comes together to form small, pea-sized balls of dough. Sprinkle onto a baking pan, and bake for 10 minutes in the 375 degree oven alongside the rhubarb compote, then stir and bake for another 5 minutes. Let cool, then break up large pieces so they’re about pea-sized.
Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream
2 cups whole milk
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
1½ ounces (3 Tbsp) cream cheese, softened
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups of rhubarb compote
1-1/4 cups of crumble
Whisk together 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.
Create an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water. Place a medium bowl in the ice bath.
Combine the remainder of the milk, the cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a large saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.
Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Pour the mixture into the medium bowl in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.
Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister of your ice cream maker and spin until thick and creamy. Right before the ice cream is done churning, pour 1 1/2 cups of rhubarb compote and 1-1/4 cups of crumble into the base, and stir to combine.
Transfer the ice cream into the storage container. Press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface of the ice cream, and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.
