(I’m a little late, but better late than never…)

Many moons ago, Howard (the resident ice cream guy) was given an ice cream maker as a going-away gift when he left a job. That was over a decade ago, and we never actually used it. I’m mildly lactose-intolerant, so have to admit that ice cream has never been one of my favorite foods. However, this week’s assignment for French Fridays with Dorie, Olive Oil Ice Cream, seemed like the perfect opportunity to scare up all the parts and give the ice cream maker a ride.

The ice cream was easy enough to put together. Milk and cream were brought to a boil, then carefully whisked into an egg yolk and sugar mixture. The custard was then lightly cooked (though I slightly overheated it) and strained before whisking in olive oil and vanilla. Then, the mixture cools in a bowl set over ice and cold water.

It was fun to taste test the various extra virgin olive oils in the pantry to find one that was fruity and not peppery. I settled on a special Greek olive oil that I got for my birthday. It comes from a farm in Xirokambi, near Sparta, off the road that Paris and Helen of Troy used to run away together. (Thanks, Cass!)

The ice cream maker made quick work of turning the custard into ice cream. It took about 25 minutes. I tasted it before freezing it to ripen and harden, and it was just like vanilla ice cream.

Once hardened, it was time to eat the ice cream for real. I made a sundae with a brownie base, olive oil ice cream topped with fleur de sel caramel sauce. The ice cream was OK. The olive oil gave it a slightly unusual taste and texture. I’m not sure I liked it. Howard thought it was “weird”. We’ll finish it, but I’m not sure this ice cream will be making a repeat appearance at my house.

If you’d like to see how the other Doristas made out with their olive oil ice creams, check out their links here. If you’d like the recipe, you can find it in Dorie Greenspan’s book Around My French Table.

Now the big dilemma is what to do with the 5 egg whites in the fridge. I was browsing the May issue of Bon Appetit and came across this recipe for blackberry financiers, so that is a definite possibility. Any other ideas?