Blood Orange Ice Cream

You know that song; "Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"? I apply that song to blood orange season. In my opinion, there are enough Christmas songs to go around. I also apply it to peach and fig season, but predominately - blood orange season. I have already made a massive batch of blood orange cordial to tide me over after the very short season ends. I think it will last me until I start to focus on peaches. 

This ice cream didn't last very long (hence the need to make cordial) - who am I kidding, it was never meant to last very long.  

Something I have discovered (in my blood orange experience) is that if you nab the ones with the darkest skins, or the ones with deep slashes of crimson across them, you will find that they contain juice which is the deepest in colour. Make sure you wear an apron or an old top. I have lost too many nice clothes to blood oranges. It's sort of worth it... but not really.

There is something so fantastically indulgent about doing a little zesting while listening to a favourite podcast on a Saturday afternoon. I highly recommend it, the zesting and the podcast...

I am on the hunt for a good, long ice cream container. The loaf tin just isn't cutting it for me anymore. Can you see my hand print? I didn't realise that it was there when I took the photo. 

It makes me smile to see it there. I like that there is some imperfection going on. My personality is in this photo. I am the sort of person that takes photos without noticing a handprint because I am too worried about what is happening in the tin.  

And what was happening in the tin was pretty perfect indeed.

Blood Orange Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups double cream
1 1/2 cups full fat milk
3/4 cup sugar, divided
5 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
Seeds from one vanilla bean
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup of sugar - for the blood orange syrup
3/4 cup blood orange juice
2 tablespoons finely grated blood orange zest 

In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, whisk together the milk, cream, half the sugar, salt and the scraped vanilla bean (including the pod) . Bring the mixture just to a boil - do not boil. 
2. While the milk/cream mixture is heating, combine the yolks and remaining sugar in a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer on low speed or whisk, beat until mixture is pale and thick. 
3. Once the mixture has come to a slight boil, whisk about 1∕3 of the hot mixture into the yolk/sugar mixture. Add another 1∕3 of the mixture, then return the combined mixture to the saucepan. Using a wooden 
spoon, stir the mixture constantly over low heat until it thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon. Take special care that this does not over boil as you might scramble the eggs!
4. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (discard the vanilla pod) and bring to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla extract. Store in the fridge for a couple of hours to cool down.
5. Meanwhile, add the 1/2 cup of sugar to the blood orange juice along with the zest in a medium saucepan. 
6. Bring the mixture to the boil and boil (swirling the pot occasionally) until you have about 1/2 a cup of syrup. It should be an even more intense blood colour than before. Make sure you don't strain out the pieces of zest! That is the best part.
7. Set this aside to chill in the fridge.
8. When the custard and the syrup are both cold, mix the syrup through the custard and freeze the blood orange custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions. I have one of these that I love.