Avocado Green Tea Ice Cream & not an Ice Cream Maker in Sight!

A First for Me!  Home-made ice-cream

Apparently the Chinese adore ice cream and consume vast quantities of the stuff, according to Michael Strange, CEO of Bassett's Ice Cream.  Mango and also Green Tea ice-cream are two of Bassett's top exports to Asia - which isn't that surprising given that these are both regional flavors. 

Green Tea itself has become pretty popular in the U.S., in part because of its alleged health benefits. While these benefits have not yet been conclusively proven, it's reassuring to think that this home-made ice-cream recipe may actually be somewhat good for you.  (OK, we're stretching the point..but there are no reconstituted milk solids or artificial flavors in our recipe and we do include a quarter cup of neat green tea).

Our friend, an inspiring and extremely health aware home cook, Joanna Schwartz provided us with this recipe and I'm game on to try it out on my unsuspecting family this weekend.

My partner in crime, Keri, had an altogether different reaction to the sound of this recipe "It sounds utterly revolting," said she (anything covered in chocolate is more her thing...).  I beg to differ. 

Green Tea is a powerful antioxidant



Joanna - Girl around town in Philly!



To visualize the unusual flavor, Joanna compares it to the avocado bubble drink on the menu at Nam Phuong, a Vietnamese restaurant she frequents on 11th and Washington Ave in Center City, Philadelphia. 

She makes an impressive case: "This is the one dish I've ever prepared that my family unanimously loves. No small wonder! And you don't need an ice cream maker!"

I like the sound of no ice-cream maker, because I don't possess one.  So here goes.

Avocado Green Tea Ice Cream

2 avocados-medium ripe,

2/3 cup of sugar,

1 individual size plain yogurt,

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup green tea (brewed and chilled)

Cut open avocados and discard the peel. Measure out and place all ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture is a somewhat dense puree. For a creamier ice cream add more milk and sugar if you like it a little sweeter. Pour into a sturdy bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  (Note I don't keep full fat milk at home, so I improvised; I used 2% milk and added an extra 1oz of yoghurt to make sure that I didn't compromise the creaminess of the final ice cream.)

Place in freezer. Every half hour for 3 hours stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, making sure to get any frozen bits off the sides of the bowl and mixing them in.

Delicious served with fresh raspberries.

If you don't have the energy to churn the ice-cream by hand, stop by Bassetts Ice Cream at the Reading Terminal Market and try their Green Tea flavor.  It's dandy!