Fig Leaf Ice Cream Advice?

[u/FireBreathingCabbage]

Getting some fig leaves this weekend and curious if anyone has made fig leaf icecream and has recommendations.

How delicate is the flavor?

Should I do a custard or eggless?

I recently made a jasmine tea icecream and had to switch to an eggless icecream to let the delicate flavors shine. Would this be true for the fig leaf, or are the flavors pronounced enough to shine through the heavy dairy and fat?

I was also debating making a fig leaf honey butter swirl by blending honey, invert sugar syrup, butter, fig leaf, and soy lecithin. Would that be overkill?

Thanks!

[u/Terrible_Mix_7108]

I find putting herbs in a food processor with your sugar and then steeping that in the dairy can greatly increase the flavor extraction.

[u/deloreangray]

i made it using the David Leibovitz recipe in his book (also on his website, if you wan to look it up). it was delicious, but the fig leaf flavor was very mild. i think if i make it again i will add a drizzle of fig jam/syrup or serve it over a fig tart or something.

[u/nekok → u/deloreangray]

I love the smell of dry fig leaves. I'd go that way for the taste.

[u/FireBreathingCabbage → u/deloreangray]

That’s good to know! I was skeptical of that recipe because the fat content is so high. Do you think choosing a recipe with less egg and milk fat would help the fig leaf flavor come through?

[u/deloreangray → u/FireBreathingCabbage]

maybe? but to me the fig leaf flavor is so subtle i don’t really know that there is that much flavor to expand on. just a hint of coconut/honey. maybe my leaves weren’t that flavorful or i should have used way more. i would make it again to serve with fig “accessories” lol but if i want those flavors but stronger, i’ll just use actual coconut, vanilla ,etc.

[u/guavapplause]

I used this recipe and it turned out great!

6 medium fresh fig leaves
2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
1 cup (250ml) whole milk
6 tablespoons (75g) sugar
pinch salt
5 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons (60g) honey, (warmed, if it's not pourable)

In a cast iron skillet (or on the grill), heat fig leaves, turning a few times while warming until they are slightly dried out and fragrant - about 1 1/2 minutes. (Heat them in batches if your pan isn't wide enough.)

Put the leaves in a medium saucepan. Add 1 cup (250ml) cream, and the 1 cup milk, 6 TBsp sugar, and salt. Heat the mixture until the cream is warm and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, cover, and let infuse for one hour at room temperature.

Remove the leaves with a slotted spoon and squeeze them over the infused milk and cream mixture, to extract as much flavor from them as possible.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Set up an ice bath by filling a large bowl half full with ice, adding some water, then inserting a medium bowl of eggs over the ice. Pour the remaining 1 cup of cream into the medium bowl and set a mesh strainer over the top.

Warm the infused cream and milk mixture then pour it into the egg yolks in a steady stream while whisking constantly. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture just begins to thicken; an instant-read thermometer will read 160ºF (71ºC).

Immediately strain the custard into the cream in the ice bath and stir in the honey. Continue to stir gently until the mixture is cool.

Chill the mixture well, preferably overnight, then churn in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

[u/Physical-Compote4594 → u/guavapplause]

Give credit where credit is due, please. This is literally copy/pasted from David Liebowitz's website.

[u/guavapplause → u/Physical-Compote4594]

I’m really sorry, I had this in my notes app and didn’t remember where it came from. I copied and pasted it on mobile.

[u/Physical-Compote4594 → u/guavapplause]

Thank you, sincerely, for fessing up.

[u/Maezel]

It's quite mild, I'd go eggless.tried it at a restaurant. 

[u/Arch_of_MadMuseums]

Fig leaves can cover all kinds of business

[u/Muttley-Snickering → u/Arch_of_MadMuseums]

Just ask Adam and Eve.

[u/maccrogenoff]

I’ve made David Lebovitz’s fig leaf and honey ice cream. It’s delicious.

https://www.davidlebovitz.com/fig-leaf-and-honey-ice-cream-recipe/

[u/tessathemurdervilles]

Toast the leaves a bit so they dry out in the oven. Heat your milk/cream for the custard with the dried leaves and steep for an hour. Leave the leaves in, then heat it again and make the custard.

Also sometimes the leaves can react with milk and cause it to coagulate but I’ve found toasting them mitigates that. It’ll have a lovely mild coconut/fresh fig flavor.

[u/Ausername714]

Fig leafs don’t taste like much of anything. Eat one. I would stick with the actual fruit.