Balsamic Fig Ice Cream

By Dustin

Ingredients

• Fig Compote:
• 3 cups chopped fresh Brown Turkey or Black Mission figs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon good quality balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon brandy
• Ice Cream base:
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon apricot preserves (not jelly)
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from scoopadventures.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine figs and sugar.  Stir occasionally, careful to keep figs pieces relatively intact.  As soon as sugar begins to melt, stir in vinegar and brandy.  Heat through (about 30 seconds), remove from heat and set aside.  Cool completely.

In a large saucepan, combine first 5 ingredients of ice cream base (half-and-half through vanilla bean, including hull) and place over medium-low heat. Bring mixture to just barely a simmer – as soon as you see a bubble reach the top, remove the pan from heat – do not let this boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the hull of the vanilla bean, pour mixture into a container and chill the mixture thoroughly (at least 4 hours or overnight).

Once chilled, pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  After about 10 minutes of churning, slowly pour balsamic vinegar through the top of the machine (keep machine running).  Place a small layer of fig compote on the bottom of a plastic ice cream container.  Lightly spoon a layer of churned ice cream on top.  Continue to alternate layers of fig compote and ice cream until the container is full.  Place remaining fig compote on top (or save for later as additional topping).

Place plastic or parchment over ice cream (to prevent ice crystals) and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.