Salt and Pepper Ice Cream

I bought my ice cream maker on Craigslist for $20. When I went to pick it up, the woman told me she had made only one flavor: pralines and cream. She apparently didn't like ice cream, but her boyfriend did. Obviously, they broke up. But one woman's cold heart is another's cold treat, and thus began my love affair with the Cuisinart ICE-20.

The joy of making your own ice cream is that you're not limited to the tired flavors in the grocery store. So, there will be no chocolate vs. vanilla on this blog. Only fig goat cheese vs. basil strawberry (I prefer the latter). And above all, absolutely no pralines and cream.

The photo is very film noir, no? To kick things off with a twist, I bring you Salt 'n Peppa ice cream. Think salty sweet like caramel popcorn with a bite of spice. Whatta flavor. A friend mentioned that she had tried such a gelato in Berkley, I think, and I was instantly intrigued.

I used long peppercorns. They smell sweet, but taste spicy. You could experiment with different types of pepper.

Ground pepper and sea salt.

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon sea salt
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon ground pepper

Heat milk, sugar, and salt over medium heat until salt and sugar are dissolved and mixture is almost at boiling point. (Do not let boil.) In a separate bowl, whip egg yolks. Add milk to egg yolks half a cup at a time, then mix it back into pot on the stove. Stir continuously until mixture is thick and sticks to the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Add cream and pepper. Place bowl in refrigerator or an ice bath until the mixture is cool. Add to ice cream maker and churn!