Ricotta Ice Cream with Chocolate and Orange
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This tangy Homemade Ricotta Ice Cream is light and zesty with fresh orange and ribboned throughout with dark chocolate shards.
Ice cream one of the most relaxing and joyful things to make. One of the key notes about Diane Keaton’s character in It’s Complicated- oh we quote the highbrow art here – is that if she can’t sleep she makes ice cream. Typically for a Diane Keaton role she is uptight and neurotic so her freezer is bursting with ice cream. However, that comforting and gentle experience of traditional ice cream making is something I can completely relate to.
This is a properly churned ricotta ice cream which means it’s very light, smooth, creamy and perfect for scooping.
Churning your own ice cream is actually a very easy process, you do need an ice cream machine for the best results. However, you can buy a very basic model with a pre-frozen canister which is under £50 and if you are only making ice cream occasionally then it’s ideal and easy to use. I get a surprising amount of use out of mine.
I’ll show you how easy it is to make your own ice cream and produce this impressive dessert for very little effort. Grab your ice cream machine and let’s go!
Why You’ll Love This Ricotta Ice Cream
- Ultra creamy texture. You achieve this lovely creaminess by using an ice cream machine.
- Light ice cream. As opposed to no-churn ice creams which can be a little dense the ice cream machine as it incorporates air gradually so it’s lighter.
- No ice crystals. As we’re not making this ice cream by hand we can achieve a smoother consistency.
- Delicious mouthfeel. This is a gentle ice cream that feels fresh and
- Gorgeous zesty flavour. We’re using fresh orange which pairs beautifully with the ricotta.
- Chocolate shards. We’re taking this recipe up a notch by crumbling in dark chocolate as it churns. It’s a lovely flavour combination with the orange and ricotta.
Ingredients Needed
Fresh Ricotta. Use whole milk ricotta cheese for the best flavour and a tangy lightness.
Double cream. You can substitute for heavy cream. We need to use double cream alongside for the fat content which helps with the mouthfeel of the ice cream.
Whole Milk. Using milk as well dilutes the richness of just using double cream. Don’t use semi-skimmed or it will alter the texture of the ice cream.
Orange. Since we’re just using the orange peel, make sure it is unwaxed and organic otherwise you need to scrub off the wax.
Egg yolks. This recipe uses medium size, each egg yolk weighs about 20g. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.
Caster sugar. A fine white sugar which gives lightness. You can substitute for granulated white sugar.
Dark chocolate. This recipe uses 70% dark chocolate. However, you can use 50-60% chocolate for a softer creamier chocolate flavour. I recommend using a bar of chocolate (rather than chocolate chips) and chop the chocolate by hand into pieces, the un-uniformity of the chocolate means it will disperse haphazardly throughout the ice cream and make it so delicious.
Equipment Needed
Ice Cream Machine. It’s up to you how much you want to spend on your ice cream maker. I’ve had a basic model for many years and it’s been brilliant. It consists of a canister with liquid coolant sealed within that you place in the freezer overnight to get to the right temperature. You then pour your ice cream into the canister and fit on the paddle attachment which then churns your ice cream within the frozen canister. This basic model is relatively inexpensive (less than £50) and ideal if you only want to make ice cream occasionally.
Or you can spend a bit more money on a self-refrigerating machine. This doesn’t need any pre-freezing so you just plug it in and away you go. It’s an investment and does take up more space but if you get the ice cream making bug then it’s a lot of fun.
Digital thermometer (candy thermometer). This is very useful to make sure your custard reaches the right temperature. I definitely have a preferred instrument – the thermapen (thermapen.co.uk) as it is an instant read thermometer. Some of the cheaper digital thermometers do have to be held in the mixture for thirty seconds or so to confirm an accurate reading, plus they have annoying wires which really get in the way. Thermapens are not the cheapest but they come in different colours and if you shop around some of the colours are strangely cheaper than others.
How To Make the Best Ricotta Ice Cream
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Warm & Infuse: In a medium saucepan, warm the double cream, milk, and zest of the orange. Set aside for 1 hour.
Heat Ricotta Mixture: Stir the ricotta into the cream mixture and heat until just below boiling.
Whisk Egg Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until smooth.
Combine: Slowly pour the warm ricotta mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
Thicken Custard: Return to the saucepan and heat until just below boiling, stirring until thickened.
Strain & Chill Custard: Strain out the zest and chill the custard for at least 4 hours.
Churn: Churn in an ice cream machine for 20 minutes, then add the chocolate shards and churn for 1 more minute.
Freeze: Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 8 hours before serving.
Expert Tips
Cool the custard as quickly as possible. Once you’ve made the ice cream base which is a type of custard then you will need to cool it as soon as possible as it helps to prevent the ice crystals. The best way to do this is to use an ice bath. Place the bowl of custard in a larger container (I often use a stock pot) filled with ice and water. To speed up the cooling down process you can then put it in the fridge.
Split over a few days. To make sure the custard really chills properly before churning I like to leave it overnight in the fridge. Actually you can leave it up to 2 days if you get a bit distracted. So on Day One you can make the custard and Day Two you can churn the ice cream. The churned ice cream then needs to go into the freezer for 6-8 hours to reach the right consistency so then it’s ready for eating on Day Three.
Custard skin. To stop a skin from forming on your custard then press a sheet of cling film or baking parchment to the surface of the custard whilst it is chilling.
FAQs
The great thing about ice cream is that it’s a real make ahead dessert. Store in an airtight freezer container with a piece of baking parchment pressed to the surface. It keeps very well for about a month in a home freezer (which are usually set around -19 degrees Celsius), they can keep for longer but the texture will start deteriorating and ice crystals will start forming.
If you are worried you can add 1-2 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch) to the egg yolks and sugar mixture which will help stabilise the custard and avoid any scrambling or curdling.
You should also continually whisk the custard when it is heating to avoid any potential issues.
It’s possible to fix custard that has scrambled which can happen when you are re-heating the custard after the eggs have been added. Strain the custard through a fine sieve and then blend thoroughly with an immersion blender to re-emulsify the ingredients. Then re-heat the custard in a clean saucepan.
Ice crystals form due to slow freezing, excess water or a fluctuation in temperature. So it’s important to get your custard to the right temperatures quickly throughout the process, churn swiftly and then store at a consistent temperature. You shouldn’t have any excess water if you have followed the recipe with the correct full-fat ingredients.
This can be the result of overchurning. You shouldn’t need to churn the ice cream for any longer than 20 minutes.
It is easier to use a machine and your ice cream will have a smoother consistency without a fear of ice crystals. This is because as the ice cream machine churns it incorporates air which is more difficult to achieve by hand.
Yes, instead of churning in the machine you can freeze the chilled custard in a shallow dish or baking tray, and stir every 30 minutes for 3 hours. Once firm, transfer to a container and freeze for 4 hours. Personally I don’t think this method is as reliable in ensuring properly smooth and ice-free results as the ice cream machine.
Flavour Variations
Lemon Ricotta Ice Cream. Swap the orange for lemon zest and leave out the chocolate for another citrus twist.
Vanilla Bean Ricotta Ice Cream. Omit the orange and chocolate and instead infuse the cream at the beginning of the recipe with a fresh vanilla bean with the seeds for a really simple ice cream. You could even use vanilla extract.
Raspberry Ricotta Ice Cream. Omit the orange and chocolate and instead add a couple of handfuls of frozen raspberries into the ice cream whilst it is churning.
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Ricotta Ice Cream with Chocolate and Orange
Ingredients
- 250 ml double cream
- 100 ml whole milk
- 1 orange - zest only
- 240 g ricotta
- 6 egg yolks
- 90 g caster sugar
- 50 g 70% dark chocolate - chopped by hand into small pieces
Instructions
- Mix together the double cream, milk and orange zest in a medium saucepan and warm through. Set aside for 1 hour to infuse.
- Whisk in the ricotta in with the cream mixture until smooth and heat in a medium saucepan until just under a boil.
- In a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until smooth.
- Pour the ricotta mixture into the egg mixture in very slow and steady stream whisking constantly.
- When everything is combined pour the custard back into the saucepan and heat until just under a boil, whisking continually until the mixture has thickened.
- Strain the custard into a large measuring jug, to remove the zest, then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Give another whisk before churning.
- Churn in an ice cream machine for 20 minutes until thickened. Sprinkle in the chocolate and continue churning for a minute to evenly disperse.
- Decant into an airtight container and freeze for at least 8 hours before serving.
What is double cream?
Double cream is a rich thick cream which you can buy in the UK and has a fat content of about 48%. It's great for whipping or pouring. You can substitute for heavy cream.