thai tea ice cream

Thai tea is what cravings are made of. Well, at least for now.

I had a glass just about every day for the seven months I was in Thailand. And, oops, have continued to do so upon getting back to Texas. Some may call this addiction. Me, I say it's just part of my daily diet. Either way, it's gotten to the point where I'm daydreaming about other ways to get my fix. For a few weeks now, the idea of Thai tea ice cream has been dancing in my head, trying to escape. I finally gave in yesterday.



Here's what you'll need:
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1 1/2 cups cream
* 1/2 cup Thai tea
* 1 cup sugar
* 3 egg yolks

Here's what to do:
Heat the milk on medium until it just starts to bubble. Stir in the tea leaves and remove from heat. Let steep about 25 minutes.

Strain into another bowl and add 1/2 cream and sugar. Mix and heat until steamy. Put your egg yolks into a large bowl then spoon the heated mixture into the egg yolks while whisking. Be careful not to add to much at a time or your eggs will cook to quickly resulting in an unwanted egg drop soup situation.

Alright, we're almost there. Add the rest of your cream. Then, take the combined mixture and cook at medium heat until it thickens into a custard-like texture, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let it sit until cool.

Once cool, add the mixture to your ice cream maker and follow the directions accordingly. Voila!

And how easy was that? Although this particular recipe was a bit too strong, I was pretty happy with how it turned out. Next time I'll be using half the tea, as I like a subtle ice cream.

*** Side note. In the past, I have been slightly obsessed with making ice cream. Some of my favorites were honey lavender and chocolate chip Oaxacan coffee. And yes, it's true, I once made jalapeno lime ice cream. That said, please send me your recipes. Strange and unheard of. Tried and true. Whatever it may be, I would rather risk an odd ice cream flavor than die in this Texas heat.