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Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Steeping: Not just for tea!

Hello everyone! I wanted to discuss steeping today. I'm sure you all know how to steep, probably with a cup of tea. When you leave the tea bag in the hot water, it releases the delicious flavors of the tea leaves. Did you know that you can steep in ice cream bases as well? The first step of most ice cream recipes will tell you to add the cream and milk to a pot and bring to a boil. During this time, you can add vanilla seeds and pods, herbs (such as thyme, basil, rosemary, etc.), cinnamon sticks, etc. Once you bring the mixture to a boil, turn off the pot and let sit for half an hour to an hour. The flavors will begin to meld into the milk at this time and give off the perfect flavor.

At the end of the ice cream recipe, you will usually pour the liquid into a bowl using a sieve (basically a small-holed colander). The sieve will catch all the stems, leaves, pods, etc. that you used to steep in the milk, and will leave your ice cream base smooth and creamy. Easy and delish!

Happy baking!

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