Who knew? This delightfully sweet, creamy and rich dessert starts with a spinach-infused custard. We’ve added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction for a touch of tanginess to balance the sweetness. This recipe was part of the first-place winning entry in the dessert category in the 2008 Spinach Festival recipe contest. It’s also included in the Spinach Tyme cookbook published by the Lenexa Historical Society.
Ingredients
1 ¾ C heavy cream
¾ C milk
1 C sugar
1 10-oz. pkg. spinach
6 egg yolks
2 tsp. crème fraiche
Pinch of salt
Directions
Heat the cream, milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan to a simmer. Defrost and drain any liquid from the frozen spinach. This can be done using a cheese cloth. Add the spinach to the cream mixture, turn off the heat and let it infuse for at least 45 to 60 minutes. Strain the spinach and save the liquid. Place the egg yolks in a bowl. Temper the eggs by slowly whisking in ½ cup hot milk mixture into eggs. Pour egg mixture into saucepan and heat to medium temperature and whisk until reaches no more than 175 F. Remove from heat and whisk into the crème fraiche. Cool in refrigerator. Once it has completely cooled, churn in ice cream maker.
Note: We added a balsamic vinegar reduction drizzle as a garnish. The reduction adds a touch of tartness that balances the sweetness of the ice cream. To make the reduction, add 1 C of balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan. Heat on medium-low to a gentle simmer. Turn down heat to low and continue simmering gently until the vinegar reduces to a syrup and coats the spoon. The reduction will continue to thicken as it cools. Cool before using it as a garnish for the ice cream.
Published Sept. 12, 2020