New Craze: Black Ice Cream

Ice cream comes in different color. Rainbow colors and everything in between. It is a sweetened frozen dessert, usually made from dairy products. But have you eaten black ice cream? Yes! You heard it right; there’s a new craze in town – Black Ice Cream!

A lot of memes appear in social media about black ice cream. Some say it matches their soul (^_^). Have you been wondering what flavor it is, how it tastes and how to make it?

In this article by Matt O’Connor in Epicurious, he shares a recipe for making a black ice cream out of black licorice.

Here are the ingredients:

• 2 1/2 ounces black licorice sticks, gently crushed
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon superfine or granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• few drops of natural black food coloring

Instructions:

1. Put the licorice in a saucepan with 1/2 cup of water and place over low heat for 15 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the licorice has melted.
2. Meanwhile, pour the milk and cream into a large saucepan and heat gently, occasionally stirring, until the mixture begins to steam but not boil.
3. Whisk the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until pale and slightly fluffy. Gradually and slowly, pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking continuously to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Return the mixture to the saucepan, place over low heat, stir in the melted licorice, and heat until the custard thinly coats the back of a wooden spoon. Do not let the mixture boil. Add the black food coloring to the desired effect.
4. Pour back into the bowl and set aside for about 30 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the mixture has cooled to room temperature. For more rapid chilling, fill a sink halfway with cold water and ice and place the bowl of mixture in it for 20 minutes. Never put the hot mixture into the refrigerator.
5. Once cooled, cover the mixture and refrigerate, ideally overnight, but at least for 6 hours, until thoroughly chilled (at least 40°F). Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. When the churning is complete, use a spoon or spatula to scrape the ice cream into a freezer-proof container with a lid. Freeze until it reaches the correct scooping texture (at least 2 hours).

There is another black ice cream in the market, the coconut-ash-flavored ice cream which features coconut cream and coconut flakes. It contains activated charcoal that some people believe to have detoxifying properties.