Hojicha Ice Cream (Printable Version)

Creamy ice cream infused with roasted Japanese hojicha tea for a nutty, aromatic dessert experience.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 2 cups whole milk
02 - 1 cup heavy cream

→ Tea

03 - 3 tablespoons hojicha loose leaf tea or 4 hojicha tea bags

→ Egg Mixture

04 - 4 large egg yolks
05 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
06 - Pinch of salt

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Combine milk and cream in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until steaming but not boiling.
02 - Add hojicha tea to the hot dairy mixture. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes to infuse the roasted tea flavor.
03 - Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing firmly on the tea leaves to extract maximum flavor. Discard the leaves and return the infused milk-cream to the saucepan.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt vigorously until the mixture becomes pale and creamy in texture.
05 - Gradually pour the warm hojicha mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly. This tempering process prevents the eggs from curdling.
06 - Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
07 - Pour the custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
08 - Process the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
09 - Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container. Cover and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving to achieve a firmer texture.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The roasted earthy flavor is unlike anything you have ever tasted in ice cream, somewhere between coffee and caramel but completely its own thing
  • It is somehow both sophisticated and completely comforting at the same time, perfect for when you want dessert to feel special
02 -
  • Do not rush the steeping time because those 10 minutes are where all the flavor magic happens
  • When tempering the eggs, pour slowly and keep whisking or you will end up with sweet scrambled tea soup
03 -
  • If your hojicha flavor is not coming through, try grinding the tea leaves slightly before steeping to release more oils
  • Let the ice cream sit on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping for the perfect texture

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