Blueberry Marzipan ice cream – ICE CREAM NATION

On Walpurgis Evening, marzipan and the inspiration for this ice cream

Walpurgis Evening is historically an enormous factor in Sweden, celebrated in pleased spirits round enormous bonfires. Whereas named after St Walpurga (or “Valborg” in Swedish), an Eighth-century German abbess and saint, the medieval Christian roots had been grafted onto pagan, even older, festivities. Heralding the onset of the nice and cozy season, these aimed to push back evil and witches, enhance fertility and pave the bottom for the expansion to come back.

“So what?” you might rightly ask. Properly, the direct inspiration for this ice cream got here from a mouth-watering image of a pastry which I got here throughout only a few days in the past. The creation was a Walpurgis pastry spin on the emblematic Swedish “Princess cake“, nonetheless lined in marzipan however now additionally with blueberry jam and cardamom.

Bonfires – the most common image of the Swedish Walpurgis Evening festivities! (Picture by David Castor)

For a marzipan-lover like myself, the attraction was rapid! The scrumptious combo merely craved to be remodeled into an ice cream!

I received’t bore you with an extended historical past of marzipan (simply comply with this hyperlink to wikipedia for that): deliciously composed of almonds and sugar, this pastry delight is believed to go as far again in time as Saint Walpurgis herself, if not even additional. Since Marzipan is so central to the pastry that impressed me, I made a decision to adapt my favorite marzipan ice cream recipe. In brief, this recipe makes use of numerous sugar however no eggs. We may also add just a little of my favorite unique spice, cardamom.

Do you have to want to minimize down on the sugar, do like I did and swap out as much as a 3rd of the white sugar for some birch sugar (xylitol): an important non-sugar sweetener that works very effectively in ice lotions (simply don’t feed it to your canine – they’ll’t deal with it).

Within the absence of eggs, we are going to add just a little Agar agar to make sure a superb general consistency. Agar agar is a fairly pure stabiliser derived from seaweed or crimson algea. It is usually fairly efficient so right here, “much less is unquestionably extra”: I’d counsel that you simply don’t transcend 1 gram (about 2 levelled teaspoons) per batch (of about 1 liter/1 quart).

Powdered Agar agar – one of many ‘pure’ stabilisers. A (very) small quantity goes a great distance although, so watch out concerning the measuring.

For the blueberry jam – attempt to discover a good one with loads of fruit. I used to be lucky to search out my favorite “wild blueberries” jam in retailer, with a berry content material of 55 %.

As common when coping with jams, bear in mind to regulate the whole quantity of sugar if wanted: in case your jam comprises greater than about 40 % sugar, I like to recommend that you simply minimize down a bit on the remainder of the sugar within the ice cream accordingly.

The Marzipan ice cream base

Getting ready the bottom could be very easy: Put collectively the milk, the cream, the bottom almond, the bottom cinnamon, and the sugar (presumably changing a few of it with birch sugar/xylitol).

Warmth till near a boil, then add the Agar agar!

The warmth is required for triggering the gelling qualities of the Agar agar: whisk effectively and let simmer near the boiling level for a couple of extra minutes (like 4 minutes or so). Then, take off from the range and let calm down.  Not like as an illustration gelatin and corn starch, Agar agar doesn’t lose its stabilising powers when uncovered to extended heating. Later, as soon as the bottom has cooled all the way down to about physique temperature, the gelling impact ought to start to indicate.

The bottom on its option to almost-boiling: the cinnamon has simply been added. Considerably later, the Agar agar will probably be added to the combination.

As soon as the bottom has cooled down, let it chill within the fridge for a couple of hours or over night time. Then churn in your ice cream machine (or still-freeze in your extraordinary freezer).

The Marzipan ice cream – pale and ready for the blueberry half to be added.

Now, the time has come to add the blueberry jam!

Chances are you’ll in fact add the jam straight into your base in direction of the tip of the churning. That manner, the ice cream will come out uniformly blue.

“Uniformly blue” Marzipan Blueberry ice cream: the “non-rippled” model, the place the jam was added within the remaining phases of the churning of the Marzipan base.

Nonetheless, I desired a extra rippled visible impact!

For a pleasant ripple: stage your freshly churned Marzipan ice cream flat in a freezer-safe container. Unfold out the blueberry jam evenly on prime, then take a fork or a knife and “swirl” your manner by way of the ice cream! Proceed till you’re feeling happy with the ripple!

Rippling away!

Now, to carry all this goodness collectively, put a lid on the container and let the ice cream “agency up” a couple of hours in your freezer earlier than serving!

Mmm … a yummy scope of Marzipan Blueberry ice cream!

A correct candy tribute to the lighter occasions forward!

Comparatively freshly churned – for individuals who favor a barely firmer ice cream, simply depart it within the freezer for a few extra hours or so. However the softer model can be scrumptious!

Wealthy, very candy and unmistakably marzipan in nature, this yummy ice cream provides a pleasant tasting expertise. However there may be greater than mere marzipan – the blueberries and the delicate cardamom present nice extra layers of flavour complexity! 

And sure, the general consistency is easy and mushy – thank the Agar agar and the sugar for that. Even after a number of days within the freezer, the ice cream stays very scopable (largely because of the excessive general sugar content material). Lastly, and since we additionally “eat with our eyes”, I need to confess that I beloved the rippled look! 

So – with a royal ice cream like this, who wants pastry ? 😉