Forgive the Fruitcake

Little nuggets of goodness!

Oh fruitcake, the much maligned dessert of the Christmas season. It's become cliché to hate on this lowly confection. When given as a gift, a single bite may be washed down with real star of the season-- egg nog. Rich, delicious, adored by legions of cream swilling fans. How can the fruitcake compete? It can't. Poor cake. In the spirit of “If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!” I've decided to combine these flavors into what can best be simply called “Christmas.” Yes, “Christmas” flavor ice cream. It combines all the flavors of fruit cake and egg nog and tastes, of Christmas.

 

 Christmas Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups chilled heavy cream

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

4 cloves (whole)

1 pkg crystallized (candied) ginger

1 pkg candied fruits for fruitcake

Bring milk, cloves, several pieces of ginger (to your taste), and salt to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Turn to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Let steep for 1 hour at room temp.

Remove ginger and cloves. Rewarm the mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together yolks and sugar. Gradually add about 1/4 cup of the hot milk, whisking constantly. Slowly add yolks and milk to the saucepan whisking constantly. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until mixture lightly, coats back of spatula. Place a mesh strainer over a clean bowl and pour mixture through. Add cream, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until thoroughly combined. Cover and chill completely. Once chilled, freeze in ice cream maker. 5 minutes before complete add the rum, a few tbs of the candied fruit pieces and a piece or two of chopped up ginger. (These should be added to taste, more ginger=spicier, more fruits=more to chew on).

The rum will keep the custard from freezing completely in the mixer so you will need to transfer it to an freezer safe container and let it harden for at least 4 hours.

Enjoy!

EB

Comments

[Viviane Bauquet Farre]

Great recipe, EB. I love the addition of ginger. Complimenting fruits with ginger is one of my favorite flavors.

[EB]

Oh I'm so glad you like it! It has been a pretty big hit.

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

Not a great lover of fruitcake, but this ice cream will make my fruitcake-loving husband very happy.

[EB]

I'm not a big fan either, but this is a whoooole other animal.

[Carolyn Jung]

I think I would enjoy this ice cream MUCH more than actual fruitcake. Yup, I'm one of those fruitcake haters. I can't help it. ;)

[EB]

@Carolyn- Completely valid. I also made a fruit cake cookie (lots of brown sugar and ginger) people snapped them up! SO sad for the cake.

[bayareafoodblog]

I love fruitcake (except for those green things that taste like rubber).

[EB]

Fair enough. Especially since it's hard to tell what "fruit" they are even supposed to be!