Have you ever noticed that the only dessert items you are most often served in Asian restaurants are fresh oranges and fortune cookies? In the Asian culture oranges are very symbolic and are used in offerings and celebrations. They signify good luck and prosperity. Often miniature orange trees are displayed in homes for New Years celebrations to symbolize good luck for the coming year. This year, I attended a sushi party on New Year’s Eve and decided that I would use the orange theme for my dessert. I made a Satsuma Tangerine/Mascarpone Ice Cream served in tangerine cups.
I get my succulent Satsuma tangerines from Talley Farms. Satsuma mandarins have attributes that set them apart from lesser known varieties. Their red orange, leathery and oily peel is known as “zipper skin” as it clings so loosely to its flesh that it can be peeled with just a couple of tears. Left behind is a fragrant and juicy segmented flesh nearly devoid of seeds. Though the flesh can be firm, it is extremely juicy and sweet. Satsumas are perhaps the sweetest tangerine and the sweetest known citrus variety.
This cool, refreshing ice cream was a perfect sweet to introduce late in the evening. During the holidays we are overwhelmed with a heavy amount of sugar laden desserts, so as an alternative everyone was delighted to bite into light, thirst quenching ice cream. It turned out to be an excellent idea!
It is easy to make in your home ice cream machine and if you don’t own one, you can use the freeze method in your freezer. Just make the ice cream mixture as directed and then freeze in an airtight container in your freezer. Stir it vigorously every 30 minutes until it is firmly frozen.
Satsuma Tangerine/Mascarpone Ice Cream
- 4 egg yolks (save the whites for an egg white omelet!)
- ½ cup organic sugar
- 3 cups milk (low-fat or whole milk or a combination)
- 2 tablespoons tangerine zest
- ½ cup tangerine juice (from about 2 Satsuma tangerines)
- 1 cup Mascarpone
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cups peeled and roughly diced Satsuma tangerines (from the insides of the tangerine cups)
- 1 container dark chocolate nibs (Trader Joe’s)
- Before you begin making the ice cream; zest and juice enough tangerines for the necessary ingredient amounts. Cut additional tangerines in half, then remove and dice the pulp for the 3/4 cup needed for the recipe. Set aside. Put the tangerine cups on a baking sheet, cover and place in the refrigerator until needed. You can save the additional pulp or juice it and freeze for another recipe. One quart should fill about 20 tangerine cups depending on size.
- In a stand mixer with a whisk blade or a medium-sized mixing bowl with an electric mixer or a hand whisk, whip the egg yolks with the sugar. Mix until it’s very thick and is pale yellow. When you drizzle it, it should rest for a moment before sinking into the rest of the mixture — this is called the “ribbon stage.” This will likely take several minutes.
- Pour the milk into a small saucepan and scald it over medium heat. Tiny bubbles will appear on the edges of the pot and it should be very hot, but not boiling. Remove it from the heat to cool a bit.
- Very gradually pour about ¼ of the slightly cooled milk into the egg-sugar mixture, and blend with a whisk until it’s evenly combined. Repeat this one more time. Then pour all of this back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly with a wooden spoon, cook until it becomes a beautiful, thick custard, about 6 minutes. It’s done when it coats the back of the spoon. (Be very careful not to overcook this — once you notice it becoming thicker, it’s nearly there. If you leave it too long it will curdle.) When it’s done, remove it from the heat immediately and let it cool for 15 minutes or so.
- Now, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the zest, juice, Mascarpone and vanilla together. Then slowly whisk this mixture into the custard.
- Let this cool, stirring from time to time, for about 2 hours.
- Pour into an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and ideally overnight.
- Freeze according to your ice cream machine’s directions, slowly adding in the diced tangerine and chocolate nibs towards the end. You will most likely need to continue freezing the ice cream in the freezer until it is firm enough to scoop. Take our your refrigerated tangerine cups and fill each with one scoop of ice cream. Cover and chill in the freezer until serving.
- You may need to remove the cups from the freezer and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving so they are soft enough to spoon but not runny.
- Don’t worry if your mixture does curdle a bit as it is fixable. Just take a stick blender and blend the mixture and the curdles will disappear!
(click here) for printable recipe