Green Tea Ice Cream

Having an ice cream maker is dangerous. Fresh ice cream, whatever flavor you want, in half an hour, who can resist? (I mostly don’t.)

This is the inaugural batch of ice cream this summer. I meant to make a green tea ice cream last summer but never got around to it. My sister was drinking matcha tea when we were in St. Louis a few days ago, and it reminded me to give it a go.

The other great thing about homemade ice cream: You tell people you made them homemade ice cream, and they’ll ooh and aah and think you’re a culinary wizard. But really, homemade ice cream is probably the easiest dessert to make.  See recipe below. Impress friends.

Green Tea Ice Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/3 white sugar
• 1 teaspoon matcha

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved and matcha is thoroughly distributed.
2. Pour mixture into ice cream machine and chill following manufacturer’s instructions. (For me, this about half an hour.)
3. Ice cream can be eaten now, but for a firmer texture remove from ice cream maker, and chill in freezer for another hour or so.

Or, for those of your without an ice cream maker–and I feel you, for years I had to endure everyone posting ice cream recipes before I had one–follow this method that I mentioned in my peanut butter ice cream recipe, learned from David Lebovitz.

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved and matcha is thoroughly distributed.
2. Chill mixture.
3. Pour the mixture into a baking dish or bowl. Put in the freezer.
4. After 45 minutes, check on the mixture. Stir any ice crystals around the edges into the liquid. Refreeze.
5. Thereafter, check every 30 minutes and give the mixture a good stirring. (The point is to break up the ice crystals.) Ice cream should be ready in a few hours.

Makes ~1½ cups ice cream

This was a pretty small batch. Recipe can be easily doubled if you have guests coming over.