Roasted Plum Ice Cream

The last vestiges of the fresh stone fruit season are plums.   Among the most varied of fruit, there are over 2000 kinds of plums throughout the world, with about 100 varieties grown in the U.S. and 50 in northern California, which produces about 95% of the plums in this country. The season starts in May and goes through November.  I’m seeing mostly plums with dark red-blue skins with pale yellow flesh where I live.

Plums are a favorite for me in the kitchen because of their tartness and gorgeous color.  For this ice cream, I roast the plums to concentrate their flavor and soften them enough to blend into a smooth puree.  The result is an ice cream with a good dose of pure plum flavor along with a deep rosy color, a very enjoyable treat to savor before they slip away for another year.

Bench notes:

- Since homemade ice cream doesn’t contain any artificial ingredients or emulsifiers, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften before serving.

- After pouring the finished ice cream into an airtight container, I press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface and then seal with the lid to eliminate air pockets where ice crystals will form.

- For plum lovers, try Cinnamon Plum Cake and Plum Ginger Upside Down Cake.

Roasted Plum Ice Cream

Makes about 1 1/2 pints

1 lb 5 oz ripe red or black plums

2 tablespoons (26 grams) dark brown sugar

1 cup (8 oz) heavy cream

1/2 cup (4 oz) milk

1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon rum

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the plums in half and remove the pit.  Place them in a shallow dish cut side up and sprinkle with brown sugar.  Roast until tender, about 15 – 20 minutes, turning them over halfway through.  Place on a wire rack to cool. 

Puree the roasted plums in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend, working in batches if the quantity is too large for your machine.  Pour into a clean airtight container and whisk thoroughly.  Add salt, to taste.  Cover and chill thoroughly. 

Freeze the ice cream base in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.  Pour the ice cream into a clean airtight container.  Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface, cover and place in the freezer to firm up.