Sweet Potato Ice Cream

My mind is a buzz with ice cream flavors! Having already had some success with mint, I wanted to try something a bit more exotic. I had this idea of this pumpkin pie idea, but pumpkin is hard to find here in Indonesia, so I decided to go with sweet potato instead. I also wanted candied pecans for texture, but couldn't find those either. Let's walk through the process, look at some pictures, and discuss what worked and what didn't.

First problem was that the Japanese sweet potatoes I found were not as orange or as sweet as I would have liked. They had more of a potato flavor and I was worried that my ice cream would taste more like french fries and less like a sweet pie. I thought I would simply sweeten them with some maple syrup, so I carried on and began boiling the bad boys up!

Looking a bit more rosy, but the flavor was still not there.

I peeled them, whisked my yolks and prepared my custard.

I am learning more about custard. There is a trick to making it creamy and it involves a steady warm heat so the eggs don't cook or curdle, but turn into a creamy custard. There is a lot of stirring involved.

I mixed in the potatoes and the custard and into the ice cream maker it all went. I also added some syrup for sweetness, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a bit of fresh ginger. Even a tiny bit was too much and nearly cut all the sweetness I had created.

Finally, I still needed some crunch so I caramelized some sugar candy like my grandmother used to make and sprinkled it on top.

All in all it is not bad, but not as creamy as my previous my batch. I am pretty sure this has to do with the denisty of the potatoes. It is also pretty hardy. A whole bowl feels a bit like having a meal, so this might be best on a slice of apple pie or something. I would be interested in trying this again with really sweet orange potatoes next time. Not bad for my first time and it will be yummy to eat, but not as good as the mint.

I want to try a nut based flavor next. I am thinking pistachio or almond, but I have no idea what that entails. I also found some rose water and as soon as I can afford some Saffron, I can make some Persian ice cream which is delicious.

Do you have any flavor ideas?

Happiness

Your love is better than ice cream
Better than anything else that I’ve tried
And your love is better than ice cream
Everyone here knows how to fight

Sarah McLachlan

I have a little more to add to this Daily Shoot assignment. Last night, I spent a little over an hour making fresh mint ice cream from scratch, and this simple act of creation made me very happy. My mind was swirling with cool mediative thoughts on simplicity and freshness. Rather than try to recapture them all now, I will open the flood gates and let spill some of the ideas that I remember:

We have forgotten how simple creation can be. Fast and easy has overtaken slow and deliberate. We allow others to make everything for us because they have made it appear to be difficult and while they have promised to make our lives easier,  really they have only made our lives more shallow.

Flavor comes from the earth. All of it. Everything else is processed chemicals. Everything tastes better homemade. To say we don't have time means to make time for other things. Food is important. I enjoy stirring cream. I like the smell of fresh mint. This is meditation. I am learning right now. I can feel the tingle. Learning how to make a custard. Learning how to infuse flavor, learning how to slow down and breathe. These are the lesson we should be teaching in school. 

I hope sharing this experience will connect me to like-minded people and/or inspire others. I like it all by myself here with the spinning iced cream. What flavors are next: Saffron, rosewater, pumpkin, peach? Tomorrow night I will make fresh raviolis. Something inside me is alive and growing. I will nurture it with the love I put in this food...

Here are some images from my Saturday night.