Okay, maybe that was a little fig oh, I mean fib, but no one will know unless you tell them that you used readymade vanilla ice cream to make Gourmet Fig Ice Cream. Shhhhh!
All I have seen in fig recipes lately is fig ice cream. I don’t know about you but I am too hot to cook custard, and I moved so I cannot find the bowl that I am supposed to put in the freezer to use to make the ice cream. So, I figged, oh I mean fudged! I used a good brand of readymade ice cream and put some caramelized figs in and I had gourmet fig ice cream without the work.
I put the fig ice cream back in the original ice cream container and put that in the freezer. My husband looked in the freezer that evening and said that he would like to have some vanilla ice cream, so I gave him the fig ice cream. He does not like figs, but he said that he enjoyed the ice cream. I did not say a word. So, a day or so later he asked for the ice cream again and that is when I told him it was fig ice cream. He still pretended that it was vanilla. When I got ready to photograph the ice cream, more than half of it was gone, so I guess he does not like fig ice cream for sure!
The fig ice cream is smooth and creamy and has just the right amount of figs, sugar, and touch of cinnamon. Use the best ice cream you can buy, and everyone will think that you sat by an old fashioned ice cream churn for hours- like we used to do! If you would like more flavor, add a splash of brandy or rum.
The recipe is easy and quick. You will need a good electric mixer, or a strong arm to mix the figs into the ice cream. It is worth every turn of the wrist. Enjoy.
Gourmet Fig Ice Cream
1.5 quarts of really good vanilla ice cream
1 2/3 cups fig halves
1 ½ tablespoons butter
3 tablespoon light brown sugar
Dash of cinnamon or to taste
Melt butter over medium high heat. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and figs. Stir and cook figs until starting to fall apart. Remove from heat and put in the refrigerator to cool.
To soften the ice cream, add it to a large mixing bowl with beater attached. Mix until just creamy but still frozen. This will take only a short time. Add the chilled figs and mix for about 30 seconds, or long enough to distribute figs. Put fig ice cream back into the ice cream container and freeze immediately. Keep frozen until ready to serve.
By Delilah Onofrey, Suntory Flowers
Photographs courtesy of Suntory Flowers
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Gourmet Fig Ice Cream
