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There’s something magical that happens when you turn earl grey tea into London Fog ice cream. It’s delicate and subtle while remaining bright and citrusy from the bergamont.
My maternal great grandmother was known for having tea with milk (essentially a London fog, but her’s always better). Unconventionally, she would mix half water and half milk in a small saucepan, throw in one or two PG Tips and heat it up on the stove. No kettle. No real steeping time. It was always perfect every time she made it. While I’m not a big tea drinker, occasionally, I will feel the need to make one like she did. I’ve tried different variations, but my favorite is made with earl grey (I prefer Twinings). I love the citrus and brightness it has. So darn good!
Years later, after she passed, I was visiting Universal Studios with some friends. Naturally, we were there for Diagon Alley and all things Harry Potter (hello my fellow Huffledor’s). The highlight for me was Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour where I had the lavender and earl grey ice cream. It blew my mind! For me, it was super nostalgic, while also working incredibly well as an ice cream flavor. I’ve been on a mission to recreate it ever since and I think I’ve finally done it! 🙂
My version is a custard style ice cream, making it super rich and creamy. There’s a little more technique involved, a few extra gadgets requires, but it’s absolutely worth it.
Tips for Earl Grey Ice Cream:
- This recipe calls for whole milk and I highly recommend you use it. You can use a milk with lower fat content, however you run the risk of having an icier ice cream.
- Eggs are crucial to this recipe as they help to stabilize the mixture and enhance the texture. Tempering allows you to gently raise the temperature of the eggs, ensuring they do not scramble when added to the saucepan. Tempering eggs seems like a lot of extra work, but it actually rather simple.
- Once the egg have been tempered and the saucepan returned to the burner, be sure you do not overcook the base. It will start to thicken naturally. It will be done when you can coat a back of a spoon, run your figure through the mixture and it remains separate (pictured above).
- When tempering the eggs, I like to run the mixture through a fine mesh sieve when adding it back to the saucepan. This will help to catch any pieces of egg that may have scrambled.
- You’ll absolutely want to use an ice cream maker in this recipe. I receive one as a birthday several years ago. I’ve used the heck out of it and it’s quickly become one of my favorite kitchen items.
- Chill the mixture all the way…seriously. If the base is warm, it will not churn properly and you’ll end up with an icy hard mess that will never scoop properly.
This London Fog ice cream is truly unique but delicious. With a little bit of time and a few techniques I know you’re going to love it as much as I do. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!
London Fog Ice Cream
Equipment
- Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 earl grey tea bags
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk two egg yolks and ¼ of a cup of granulated sugar until the mixture has doubled in volume and is pale yellow in color. Set aside
- In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk, heavy whipping cream, ¼ of a cup of granulated sugar, vanilla, and tea bags. Bring to a slight boil. Remove from heat and allow the tea bags to steep for 3 minutes. Discard the teabags.
- Whisk about ½ of the hot milk/cream mixture into the egg yolks. Then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk /cream liquid. Place the saucepan back on the stove and heat on low, stirring constantly. Heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Do not bring to a boil.
- Strain the warm ice cream base into a heat proof container. Allow the mixture to cool completely, then place into the refrigerator to chill for 3 hours.
- After the 3 hours, freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions (typically 20 minutes). Please the churned ice cream into an airtight container and place in the freezer for 2 hours before serving.