¾cup prepared Apricot reductionchilled or room temperature
¾cup Full fat milkchilled
1½cupsHeavy creamchilled
1teaspoonalmond extractoptional
½teaspoonvanilla extract
Macerated Fresh Apricots
8small fresh apricotspitted and chopped into cubes
1.5tablespoonbrown sugaror sub with white sugar
Pinchof cinnamonoptional
3-4basil leaveschopped finely (optional)
Pinchof sea salt
Instructions
For Apricot Reduction
Wash and pat dry the apricot.
Cut into halves and discard the pit.
Instant Pot Method
Add everything to the inner pot of Instant Pot except basil and mix well.
Let it sit for 10 minutes.
You will see that the apricot mixture is releasing its juices.
Now place the lid with the black knob in a sealing position.
Press MANUAL low pressure for 3 minutes.
Once the pot beeps, place a kitchen towel on the black knob and gently perform a QUICK release by turning the knob to Vent all the steam.
Once the silver pin drops down, open the lid carefully.
Now switch on the sautee mode and cook the mixture by stirring it constantly for 5-10 minutes until the mixture fairly thickens.
Add in the basil and let the flavor infuse in the pot.
Switch off the pot and let the reduction completely cool down.
Now pass it through a fine-mesh strainer to get a smooth sauce leaving back the basil and the peel.
Making reduction on the cooktop.
Place everything called for the reduction in a medium size pan, mix well, cover it with a lid and bring it to a boil. Do this on medium heat.
Once it starts to boil, uncover and cook and cook it on medium heat stirring occasionally for 10-12 minutes until considerably reduced.
Add in the basil and stir well. Let the flavor infuse until the mixture cools.
After the mixture cools down pass it through a fine-mesh sieve. This will ensure a smooth sauce-like consistency.
Store in the fridge until use.
For Macerating Apricots
Mix everything well, cover, and let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours, maximum 3 days.
For making Apricot Ice cream
Whisk in apricot reduction with the milk until smooth.
Add in the cream and mix well.
Chill this mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours. You can make this mix up to a day ahead of time.
Now churn it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
It took me 25 minutes to make this ice cream in my Cuisinart ice cream maker.
Once the machine stops churning, the ice cream is ready. You can enjoy it right away as a soft serve.
You can scoop it out and store it in airtight ice cream containers.
Freeze the ice cream for at least 6 hours before enjoying it.
Take out the container from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before scooping. This will ensure a smooth scoop and won't be very hard to take it out.
Notes
This recipe is meant to be made in an ice cream maker only.Can you make apricot ice cream without an ice cream maker?Yes, simply follow my strawberry ice cream recipe here and swap strawberry jam with the apricot reduction.
Make-Ahead of Time Tips
You can prepare the reduction up to a week ahead of time. Or even freeze up to 3 months ahead.
Macerated apricots are good for 3 days.
Important tips to make awesome apricot ice cream
The reduction recipe will yield over a cup of reduction. You just need a ¾th cup for this recipe. The rest of the reduction can be frozen or used to flavor drinks.
The sweetness of the ice cream depends on the apricots on hand. Choose soft ripe apricots or adjust sugar when making the ice cream mixture.
Taste the ice cream mixture before churning, add more sugar if needed.
Chill the mix before making the ice cream. This yields creamy output.
Cinnamon, basil, almond extract, and sea salt are wonderful tastemakers. You can skip them if unavailable. But I highly recommend them.