Cheese
Mac and Cheese Ice Cream -- Deep Fried!
- Prep time 36 hours
- Cook time 20 minutes
- Makes 1 quart ice cream, or 8 to 10 deep-fried scoops
Author Notes
The first time I tried to make mac and cheese ice cream, I used way too much mac and a bit too much cheese. The finished ice cream was rock hard. Even after I let it soften at room temperature for half an hour, I still had to serve it with a chisel. Only my second cousin liked it, and let’s face it, he likes everything. It took me a few tries to land on this version, which had a milder flavor and a creamier texture. More than one person on the planet liked it. Success.
The next step was obvious. I plugged in the deep fryer.
If you don’t have a deep fryer, this ice cream can be served the usual way, without a crispy coating. —Adventurous Ice Creams
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- For the ice cream:
-
1/3 cup
broken-up dry pasta
-
2 cups
heavy cream
-
1 cup
whole milk
-
2 tablespoons
powdered milk
-
1 cup
sugar
-
1/4 teaspoon
dry ground mustard seeds
-
1/8 teaspoon
paprika
-
1/2 cup
grated cheddar cheese
-
6
slices American cheese
-
1 1/2 teaspoons
white cooking wine
- For the crispy fried coating:
-
3
egg white
-
3 cups
cornflake crumbs
-
oil for deep frying
Directions
- Boil the pasta until it is overdone. Seriously, boil it until it’s disgustingly soft.
- Drain the pasta, reserving the liquid. Puree the pasta in a blender with 2 T of reserved water (more if needed). It’s okay if the mash is a little lumpy—you’ll strain it later.
- Heat pasta puree, cream, milk, powdered milk, sugar, mustard, paprika, and cheeses over medium heat. Whisk until sugar dissolves and cheeses melt. Continue whisking occasionally until mixture almost—but not quite—boils. As you whisk, mash apart any large chunks of pasta. Remove from heat.
- Strain the mixture into a medium bowl. Discard the unincorporated pasta chunks and any unmelted cheese.
- Cover and chill for at least two hours, preferably longer (up to twenty-four hours).
- Add the cooking wine and churn according to your ice cream maker manufacturer’s instructions.
- Pack into a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least four hours.
- When the ice cream is set enough to scoop, form it into balls, each using 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of ice cream. (I like to scoop the ice cream into a sandwich bag, so that I can squeeze and shape it through the plastic, then I turn the bag inside out to release the ice cream.) Set the scoops on a baking sheet or freezer-safe cutting board. Cover with plastic and return to the freezer until set again.
- When the scoops are frozen into shape, beat the egg whites until foamy and set aside. Pour the cornflake crumbs into a wide bowl.
- Coat the scoops in egg whites, then roll in cornflake crumbs until completely covered. (More, smaller, scoops will require more beaten egg whites and cornflake crumbs. Refresh your supply as you go, as needed.)
- Re-freeze the coated scoops until very hard.
- Heat a deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Fry the scoops for a few seconds, just long enough to crisp the outside. Serve immediately.
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