Sunday, November 25, 2007

Living Rubies


I'm a sucker for children's books. I love picture books, story books and kids' adventure books. When my to-be-husband met me in college he was mystified by my collection of children's books. It wasn't like I had any kids. I told him they were for my some-day kids, but the truth is, they were for me.

One of my all time favorite series is the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. If I were forced at knifepoint to pick a favorite out of that series, it would probably be The Silver Chair. It has plucky children, a comic foil, giants, a quest, near misses, a serpent, and a prince held under enchantment. Toward the end of the book, when the prince is released from the spell and is trying to escape from the underground cavern in which he's been held, a chasm opens up leading to the deep land of Bism. One of the creatures from that land tempts the prince into joining him there saying that the jewels there are alive. You can bite into them and they're juicy, unlike the cold, hard, dead jewels we scratch out of the surface of the earth.

When I had my first pomegranate, I figured that this was what C.S. Lewis had in mind when he wrote that. The sparkling seeds are like living rubies, spraying ruby red juice when squeezed. I always feel like a Bism princess when I eat a pomegranate.

Last year my daughter fell in love with pomegranates. Every time we saw one in the store she'd beg for one (hey, it's better than begging for Twinkies) and I'd usually give in. So when I told her she could pick which dish for me to make first from my new Nigella Express cookbook, it was a no-brainer. Pink and perfectly delicious - No-Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream.

This ice cream is so easy that anyone can make it. No ice cream maker required (sighs of relief from everyone who complained over my summer-long ice cream making spree that they had no ice cream maker), only 4 ingredients, and it tastes heavenly! As the first bite slides over your tongue you taste pure, fresh pomegranate flavor and then you feel the silky cream. Beautiful enough to wow company, simple enough to indulge yourself anytime.

No-Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream
adapted from Nigella Express

1 large pomegranate or 2 small ones
1 lime- juiced
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups heavy cream

1- Place about 3/4 of the pomegranate seeds into a sieve placed over a bowl. Reserve the rest of the seeds in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Using a spoon or your hand, crush the seeds down to release their juices. Then pick up handfuls of the seeds and squeeze them to get every last drop of juice. You'll have a pile of sad, used seeds to throw away and approximately 3/4 cup of pomegranate juice.

2- Add the lime juice to the bowl through the sieve.

3- Add the powdered sugar and whisk to dissolve.

4- Whisk in the cream and keep whisking until soft peaks form in the dainty pink cream.

5- Spoon and smooth the ice cream into a rigid plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, about 32 oz. size. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. Scatter the reserved pomegranate seeds over the top when you serve it.

20 comments:

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Is there any left for me? Gosh that looks so gorgeous! Yes, I feel like the pomegranate seed is a jewel.

Peabody said...

The less ingredients usually the better.
Is it sour at all?

Cookie baker Lynn said...

My Kitchen In Half Cups - Of course there is! Come on over.

Peabody - Not sour. The lime just augments the pomegranate flavor and the sugar balances it perfectly.

Mandy said...

yay from the girl with no ice cream maker! I saw this recipe and have been wondering how it tastes. Thanks for the review Lynn.

Gretchen Noelle said...

I love narnia! The ice cream looks delish - just in time for summer here!

Big Boys Oven said...

wah! should taste lovely! i never had this type of ice cream before!

Eva said...

I'm into children's books, too, which makes my boyfriend shake his head in disbelief..;-)
Your ice cream looks lovely but how do you manage to get the seeds out of their shell without turning the kitchen into a crime scene? Last time I attempted to murder a pomegranate, the clean-up took quite some time...

Anonymous said...

I am one of those 'moaners' who still don't have an ice cream machine! It looks gorgeous. I will have no excuse not to make it.(I love children's books too.)

Patricia Scarpin said...

Lynn, what a beautiful ice cream!
I used to be a pink freak when I was a kid, everything had to be pink... :)

Love the pomegranate seeds sprinkled over the ice cream, too.

Brilynn said...

I love the Chronicles of Narnia too! And that ice cream sounds absolutely lovely!

kickpleat said...

wow, that ice cream looks amazing! so pretty and i love pomegranates too. i have one of the old school churning kinds of ice cream makers, so it would be nice to save my arm some trouble!

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

I too love children's books, since they were so prevalent in my childhood upbringing - I was quite an avid reader when I was younger (still am), and had a vivid imagination, so these were my favorite types of stories :0)

I love how you related your first time eating pomegranates to your favorite tale - once again, Lynn, your posts are so well-written and captivating!!

mmm, pomegranate sounds like such a refreshing flavor for an ice cream - wonderful recipe choice on behalf of your daughter!

Bev and Ollie "O" said...

wow the icecream looks so good!!

gonna have to make this!

Hillary said...

Wow that ice cream looks marvelous...I've never thought to try pomegranate as an ice cream flavor! Thanks for this post!

Cakespy said...

I would love to curl up with a nice cup of this and a book! This looks so creamy and delicious. I love pomegranate.

Anonymous said...

I had no idea making ice cream without the help of a machine was so simple. I'm really excited to try this, but I think I'll substitute the heavy cream with coconut milk to make it vegan. Thanks!

Cookie baker Lynn said...

Mandy - It's delcious and I'll bet once you try it you can substitute different fruit juices and have a whole repetoire of no-churn ice creams.

Gretchen Noelle - I'm so glad someone's having summer. It's rain, rain, and cold rain here.

Big Boys Oven - It would taste great with some of your lovely cake beside it!

Eva - LOL - yes, the pomegranate crime scene. I carefully cut a section of skin and peel it back (sort of like an orange) and then take the segments apart. And then mop up the cutting board.

Melinda - It is advantageous to your figure to not have an ice cream machine. Trust me.

Patricia - What little girl didn't go through the "pink" phase? I certainly did. And I'm not so sure I'm out of it yet.

Brilynn - Thanks, sweetie.

Kickpleat - Ah, old school ice cream. All the mess made me give that up. The saltwater killed all the grass around where I churned. I love my Donvier!

VeggieGirl - You are such a sweetheart! Thanks for the super kind words.

Bev and Ollie O - Thanks for dropping by!

Hillary - I'm a sucker for anything pomegranate.

Cakespy - A book and ice cream? You're my kind of thinker!

Kim - Ooh, let me know how the vegan version turns out!

Kelly-Jane said...

This one is on my list, a good one to make at this time of year, and a fabulous colour too :)

Nemmie said...

Made it! Loved it! Credited you on my blog for it! Thanks so much for a great recipe :)

diannem said...

In the fruit category this is the best ice cream I have tasted. (This is because Lynn's coffee ice cream is to die for!) The sweet/tart pomegranate plucked up my taste buds and then creamy and sweet swept through my mouth. It is watering just thinking of it.
Thanks for sharing Lynn!