Sour Cream Ice Cream

This is a recipe I got from Alice Medrich’s Pure Dessert. I only recently started cooking from it, but so far, it’s really up my alley: dessert recipes that aren’t too sweet and that showcase one or two flavors very well. In this case, it’s sour cream, which has an unmistakable tang not present in vegan substitutes. Since I can get Green Valley Organics lactose-free ice cream at Whole Foods, though, I can actually make this one lactose-free. I really loved the result, but what took it over the edge for me was adding warm, homemade chocolate sauce – divine! I think it’s also the kind of thing that would be great with pie.

2 cups lactose-free sour cream
2/3 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup lactose-free whole milk

Put the sour cream in a small bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in a little of the milk until smooth, then whisk in the remaining milk. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture is warm and foamy. Continue to whisk as the foam subsides and the mixture thickens and begins to boil. Whisking and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan constantly to prevent scorching, boil steadily but not furiously for 1 ½ to 2 minutes, or until the mixture thins slightly and becomes a bit more translucent. (Alice Medrich warns that it is important to cook the base adequately, or you will taste and feel the raw cornstarch on your palate and the flavor of the sour cream in the finished ice cream will not be clear and bright.)

Remove the pan from the stove and whisk for a few seconds to release some heat. A little at a time, whisk the hot mixture into the sour cream. Let cool, then cover tightly and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 but preferably 12 hours. Freeze the ice cream according to the instructions for your machine. (You can eat the ice cream right away, but if it sits in the freezer for several hours, it will be too hard to scoop. Soften it slightly by transferring the container to the refrigerator for 10 minutes before serving, or just leave it out at room temperature for a few minutes.)