Wild Blueberry and Lemon Shortbread Mascarpone Ice Cream
This was the dessert that I served for my dinner party, and it truly stole the show. This simple mascarpone custard gets layered with a wild blueberry compote and homemade gluten-free lemon shortbread cookie pieces to create a truly sensational dessert. Make this in advance to set in the freezer so it is ready to go for your guests when they arrive. One less thing for you to worry about on the day-of! You don’t have to make this for guests either—just make a batch of it to keep on hand in the freezer for a perfect late-night treat :)
Serves: 8 (2 quarts)
Ingredients:
Mascarpone Ice Cream Base
4 cups whole milk
8 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups cane sugar
16 oz. mascarpone
large pinch of salt
Wild Blueberry Compote
2 cups frozen wild blueberries
1/2 cup cane sugar
Gluten-Free Lemon Shortbread Cookies
1 3/4 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour (I use King Arthur)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
14 tbsp salted butter, cut into 1/4 inch slices
Method:
Bake the cookies first. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the gluten-free flour, powdered sugar, and salt together until well combined. Add the vanilla and butter and mix on medium-low speed. Increase speed to medium and mix for 3-5 minutes (the dough will be ready when it is smooth.
Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper with gluten-free flour. Roll dough out until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Slice into rectangles using a pastry or pizza cutter.
Transfer to a baking sheet and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Bake in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 15 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack. Break the cookies into small, bite-size pieces when you are ready to add them to the ice cream! Use as many as you would like, and save the rest for snacking.
For the wild blueberry compote: Combine the blueberries and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat to cool completely prior to use.
For the ice cream: Combine the milk and 4 tablespoons of the sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, combine the egg yolks and the remaining sugar in a bowl and whip with a hand mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Once the milk mixture has come to a simmer, carefully add 1 cup of the warm milk into the egg mixture in a slow and steady stream, whisking all the while, over the course of 30 seconds. Don’t add it all at once or you’ll risk scrambling the eggs. Once the milk has been added, pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cook over medium-low heat while stirring constantly until the mixture barely thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 4-5 minutes). Don’t let the mixture boil. Pull the saucepan off the heat and whisk in the mascarpone and salt until incorporated.
Strain the mixture in a bowl and allow it to chill more slowly in the fridge. Once the mixture has chilled, process the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions, usually about 20 minutes. Once prepared, spread the custard into a freezer-safe pan or ice cream container, alternating with drizzles of the blueberry compote and cookie pieces. I like to do three separate layers of custard and top each with a hefty amount of blueberry sauce and cookie crumbles. Swirl gently with a knife and then allow to freeze completely in the freezer. Leave at room temp for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
