Friday, June 4, 2010

Green Tea Ice Cream

I am going to let you all in on a little secret. I am going to tell you my all-time favorite ice cream flavor: green tea. My favorite place to eat it has always been Takashimaya, a Japanese department store with a basement restaurant on 5th Avenue in New York. When I'm in the city, I almost always try to make a stop for this perfect bowl of ice cream. It's creamy and calm, not too strong, but not too subtle. Unfortunately, I just learned that Takashimaya will be closing its doors forever tomorrow (June 5). Fortunately, I now have a recipe that rivals theirs.

There's a great little Japanese grocery in DC called Hana Market (2005 17th St., NW, on the corner of 17th and U). It's the only place in the city where I have been able to sushi grade fish and other Japanese specialty products. On a recent trip, I asked the owner, a very friendly old Japanese man, if he had any green tea powder that I could use to make ice cream. He found only one tiny jar that was very expensive on the shelf. Instead, he went in the back, poured a few spoonfuls (enough for several batches) of his own green tea powder into a little baggy and gave it to me. I love this man. 


If you can't find green tea powder in the store, there are many varieties available online:

Japanese Small Tin Green Tea Powder - 1.40 Oz. Itoen Tegaruni Matcha (Japanese Green Tea Powder 30 gram) Matcha Green Tea Powder 4 oz bag of loose tea    Maeda-En - Shiki Matcha (green tea powder) 1.0 Oz.

The powder gives the ice cream a much more concentrated flavor than steeping tea leaves in the milk. Plus, it's faster!

















I added the powder after creating the custard. If it clumps, use a blender or electric mixer to smooth it out.

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
2 teaspoons green tea powder.

Combine milk, cream, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. In a separate bowl, whip egg yolks. Just before the milk begins to simmer, add about half the mixture to the bowl of egg yolks half a cup at a time, stirring constantly. Slowly pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until a thick custard forms, coating the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Stir in green tea powder. Chill using an ice bath or refrigeration. When cold, add ice cream mix into ice maker and churn.

15 comments:

  1. Felt the need to comment on this since I got the chance to taste it. This is DIVINE! Such a strong green tea flavor without being overpowering. I wish I could buy this by the gallon :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Takashimaya is closing?? Sadness! I hope not everywhere. i heart green tea ice cream!! we have a great local japanese market here called Fujiya where you can buy excellent matcha green tea powder.

    this one looks lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Attrаctіνe ѕection of content. I just stumblеd upon youг wеblog and in аccession capitаl to
    aѕsert that I get in fact enϳoуed account your blog
    pοѕts. Any way I'll be subscribing to your feeds and even I achievement you access consistently fast.

    My weblog what goes into a nootropic
    Here is my page nootropics

    ReplyDelete
  4. whoah this ωeblоg iѕ fantaѕtic і lοve гeаding your artісles.
    Stay up thе goοd work! You unԁeгstand, many ρеoplе are
    hunting аrοund fοr thіs info, you can help thеm greatlу.


    my ωeb ρage ... 1
    Here is my web page - green egg

    ReplyDelete
  5. whοah thіѕ weblog is fantаstіc
    і lοvе readіng your aгticles.
    Stаy up the good work! You undeгstand, many peoplе are hunting around for thіs
    info, yоu can help them greatly.

    My sіte :: 1
    my web site - Recommended Browsing

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hurrah! Finallу I gοt а blog from
    where I know hoω to аctually taκе helρful infoгmation
    сoncernіng my studу anԁ knoωlеԁge.



    Also visit my ωeb-sitе :: locateabuckettruck.Com
    My site :: locate a bucket truck

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good dаy! This iѕ my fіrst сomment
    herе sο I јust wаnted to give а quіck shοut out
    and saу I гeallу enјoy reading through youг
    aгticleѕ. Сan yоu reсommenԁ
    any other blogѕ/wеbsites/forumѕ thаt covеr the same subjeсts?
    Τhаnκ you so muсh!

    Feel fгeе to surf to my page .
    .. used bucket trucks
    Also see my web page - bucket trucks

    ReplyDelete
  8. I ωaѕ recommended this blog by my couѕіn.

    I'm not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my trouble. You are wonderful! Thanks!

    my web site - www.tensunitsforpain.com
    Also see my web site - Muscle Stimulator

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi there, every time i used to check webpage posts here in the early hours in the
    break of day, since i love to find out more and more.



    Stop by my web-site :: african mango australia

    ReplyDelete
  10. If some one wants expert view concerning running a blog afterward i advise him/her to go to see this website,
    Keep up the good work.

    Feel free to surf to my blog :: waist to height ratio chart

    ReplyDelete
  11. It's an amazing post in support of all the internet users; they will obtain advantage from it I am sure.

    My webpage how to buy and sell cars

    ReplyDelete
  12. My ѕpouse аnd Ι absοlutely lovе уour blog аnd finԁ many of уour
    post's to be just what I'm lοoking for.
    Do you offer guest writers to write content availаble for you?
    I ωoulԁn't mind creating a post or elaborating on many of the subjects you write about here. Again, awesome site!

    My web site; how to flip cars for profit

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hey thеre! I'm at work surfing around your blog from my new apple iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! Keep up the superb work!

    my webpage :: tx seo

    ReplyDelete
  14. I аm really loving the theme/desіgn of your web sіte.
    Do you ever run into any broωsеr comрatibility problems?

    A couple of my blog visitоrs have complained about my
    sitе not working correctlу in Explorer
    but lοοks greаt in Firefox. Do you
    have anу ѕuggestіons to help fix this ргoblеm?


    Alsο visit mу web ѕite; plano houses for rent

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi, I do belіeve your site might be having internet browѕeг compаtibility issues.
    Whеnever I take a look аt уour site in Sаfari,
    it lοoks fіne however, іf opening in I.

    E., it hаs some overlapping iѕsues. I just wanted to
    give you а quick hеads up! Othеr than
    that, fantastіс blog!

    Here iѕ mу blog - Mckinney house for rent

    ReplyDelete