Earl Grey Tea has long been a favorite tea of the women in my family. The light bergamot flavor and fragrance is soothing and a lovely way to enjoy a brief afternoon respite from a busy day. This unusual flavor makes a wonderful frozen dessert, and by using low-fat dairy ingredients it is a light and refreshing yet creamy base for stewed or poached fruit.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup 1 % milk
3 tbsp Earl Grey loose tea leaves
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup liquid honey
2 tbsp skim-milk powder
4 ounces light cream cheese
1 cup organic or homemade yogurt
1/2 cup light sour cream
Method:
Use a large saucepan to slowly heat the milk and tea leaves. Don’t let it boil. Add the sugar, honey and skim-milk powder, stirring regularly until everything has dissolved. Cool in a large glass bowl, and strain – it can be a little difficult to get all the tea leaves out but don’t worry if there are a few specks lefts – they look pretty in the finished product. Whisk in the remaining ingredients until the mixture is as smooth as you can get it. Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Once completely chilled, pour into a metal cake pan (I use a 9 x 11 inch rectangular pan), cover and freeze for at least 2 hours. It should be almost completely firm. Once it has reached this stage, remove it from the pan in large scoops and puree it in your food processor or blender. Keep blending until it is completely smooth. Return it to the pan, cover, and freeze for at least 3 hours. It should be firm enough to use at that time, and can keep for several days or up to a week in the freezer. Prior to serving, let the Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream stand at room temperature for about ten minutes to make it easier to scoop. Use the ice cream with stewed apples, berries, pears, rhubarb, or peaches.