About

Cost
$ $ $ $ $
Difficulty
• • • • •
Time
40 mins

The Truck Food Cookbook
Makes 4 cups

When Doug Quint anD BRyan PetRoff of the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck were developing their toppings, they tested recipes with a kind of homemade soft-serve ice cream, which they made in their apartment kitchen. Inspired by their efforts, I made some, too.

Posted by Workman Published See Workman's 24 projects » © 2024 John T Edge / Workman · Reproduced with permission.
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  • Step 1

    Scoop the ice cream into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add the whipped cream and, if you like, the chocolate syrup and beat until thor- oughly blended. Cover the ice cream tightly, either by placing it in a container with a lid or by wrapping the bowl several times in plastic wrap. Place the ice cream in the freezer for at least 12 hours; it will still be slightly soft after that time. Then, it’s ready to eat, with or without toppings.

    Note: To make 1 cup of whipped cream, pour 1/2 cup cold, heavy (whipping) cream into a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.

  • How to make ice cream. Cheater Soft Serve Ice Cream - Step 2
    Step 2

    Toasted Curried Coconut

    heRe the insPiRation is Southeast Asia. Doug and Bryan prefer large flakes of coco- nut over the shredded kind. They say the big flakes have more visual impact, plus you get a stronger, chewier coconut taste. For the recipe, they use a slightly sweet curry pow- der (Doug and Bryan like Whole Foods house blend muchi curry).

    Makes 2 cups
    2 cups large-flake coconut
    1 tablespoon curry powder, or more to taste

    Heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat (do not use a nonstick skillet for this). Add the coconut, then shake the curry powder on top and stir to coat. Taste for seasoning, adding more curry powder, if desired. Cook the coconut until it takes on a golden brown hue, about 2 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning the coconut. Transfer the curried coconut to a pan or heat- proof bowl to cool before using it as a topping for ice cream. The curried coconut can be stored in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.

  • Step 3

    Wasabi Pea Dust Topping

    Believe it or not, this topping from Doug and Bryan isn’t as spicy as you would think. The wasabi’s heat, combined with a little bit of salt and crunch, makes a great comple- ment to smooth, cold ice cream.

    Makes about 1 cup
    1 cup wasabi peas

    Pulverize the wasabi peas in a coffee mill, spice grinder, or food processor. (This will be loud, says Doug—so loud that your cat will go into hiding.) Bryan likes to make the con- sistency as close to powder as possible. Doug leaves a little texture and crunch. Use a sifter to sprinkle the wasabi topping on ice cream. The topping can be stored indefinitely in an airtight container.

  • Step 4

    Olive Oil and Sea Salt Topping

    Soft-seRve ice cream is a blank slate, the BGICT boys say: “Since the olive oil and sea salt topping is the star, the thing to keep in mind is quality. On the truck we only use high-quality oil and salt. It will cost more, but you don’t need to use much, and remem- ber you are trying to spotlight the taste of the toppings.”

    For the salt, they recommend Maldon sea salt, a flaky salt that is relatively easy to find. They taste tested different olive oils and realized the best for ice cream are not the earthier oils but the grassy, green fin- ishing ones. Their favorite brand is Bariani, from a small, family-run business near Sacramento, California. Other oils they rec- ommend are La Belle Excuse, from Greece, and Ranieri, from Italy. Add some crunch with a topping of toasted pine nuts.

    Makes 1 serving
    1 tablespoon high-quality olive oil
    Pinch of Maldon sea salt, or another flaky salt
    1 cup vanilla soft-serve ice cream
    2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional; see Note)
    Drizzle the olive oil and crush the salt between your fingers as you sprinkle it over the ice cream. To distribute the flavorings, stir them into the ice cream before eating.
    NOTe: Totoastthenuts,heatadrypanover medium-low heat (do not use a nonstick skillet for this). Add the pine nuts and heat them until lightly toasted, fragrant, and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Shake the pan often to avoid burning the pine nuts. Do not overcook them or you’ll have a mouthful of cinders. Let the pine nuts cool before sprinkling them over the ice cream.

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