What’s Better Than Ice Cream or Doughnuts? Ice Cream AND Doughnuts!

I hadn’t planned on pulling out the ice cream maker for at least two more months, but all the prime citrus is to be had RIGHT NOW. Powerless against the allure of citrus, I found myself churning a batch of Orange-Cardamom Ice Cream from Bi-Rite Creamery’s Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones last week. A giant scoop on the top of a freshly baked, irresistibly dark and chocolatey doughnut makes an incredible dessert you won’t forget.

Dark Chocolate Doughnuts topped with Orange-Cardamom Ice Cream (Gluten-free)

Note: Whole green cardamom pods (do not use black cardamom, which is better suited for savory foods) are essential to this ice cream, imparting a subtle, warm complexity that perfectly balances the crisp, bright citrus flavor of the orange zest. I used Cara Cara orange zest, but use any bright, tightly skinned orange or citrus fruit you can get your hands on. Organic is preferred, since the zest is heavily effected by pesticides. If you can’t do organic, clean the orange with some white vinegar and a toothbrush first. Rinse it well and pat it dry before zesting. 

For the ice cream (adapted from Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones):

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs whole green cardamom pods
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• zest from one large orange

Method

1. In a small saute pan, toast the pods over medium high heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and roughly chop.
2. In a 4-quart saucepan, stir all the ingredients, except the yolks and zest, together over medium-high heat. Bring just to a boil, remove from heat and cover. Steep pods for 20 minutes.
3. Reheat the cream mixture over medium-high heat. When just starting to steam, but before boiling, slowly drizzle the mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return the mixture back to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant spatula, until thick enough to coat the back of the spatula, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Strain the mixture into a stainless steel bowl. Whisk in the zest. Cool over an ice bath, then refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours or overnight. Churn according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Store in a shallow container, covered with plastic wrap and topped with an airtight lid, in the freezer for up to a month.

For the doughnuts (from glutenfreefix.com):

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup almond flour, packed
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• dash of sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together the almond flour, baking soda and sea salt. Set aside.
2. In a 3 qt sauce pan, whisk together the coconut oil and honey over medium-low heat until just combined. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well to incorporate. Whisk in the dry ingredients, followed by the vinegar.
3. Spoon the batter into 8 lightly greased, standard sized doughnut molds and bake for about 12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the doughnut comes out clean. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm topped with a healthy scoop of ice cream.