Brown Sugar Crunch No-Churn Ice Cream with Rhubarb and Chaga Swirl

Ok lovlies. We are in the last moments before that summer sun turns cold and the clouds become our visual staple for the following six months. Let’s get those summer and fall flavours on repeat until stews, soups and casseroles become the only warming agent for our shivering bodies.

Rhubarb. It’s a strange one, I will admit. It has an edible stalk, but rather tough to eat when raw, and a very inedible leaf based on the high levels of oxalic acids and enthrone glycosides. This is opposite to what you would normally expect, no? Although this plant is classed as a vegetable, it is more often than not, cooked in a sugary syrup because of its very tart flavour. Due to this flavour composition it is often paired with sweet counter parts or into desserts like pies, tarts, syrup drizzles and crumbles.

The season for rhubarb is not too short but also it isn’t available all year round. It begins to show it’s face in the latter part of April until June or July depends on your location. In Germany, it most certainly isn’t avaible for that long; normally only from May until June. When the season begins, I try to buy, boil and bottle as much rhubarb for later months so I can feel as though it’s just the beginning of summer, even in late November/December.

Because this vegetable is rather long and large, it maybe difficult freezing. What I do and suggest to do yourself at home is cook and freeze it in zip lock bags. You can either cook the stems down in half a cup of water, once they soften, then freeze. You can also make a syrup by cooking the stems in equal parts water and white sugar (often 1 cup to 1 cup). Once the stalks shred, almost like pulled pork, place in a food processor and blitz until smooth.

In saying rhubarb and sweetness go hand in hand, adding a different and slightly nutty flavour does create a more well rounded flavour combination. Here, I have used Chaga Life, made from the brewing of the chaga mushroom. It is 100% pure and has an enormous number of benefits for the health of your inner and outer body. When using Chaga Life liquid instead of water to make the syrup, the result is much stronger in flavour and I think also has a denser consistency. Bringing together the sweet, tart and nutty elements, you may want to eat it right out the bowl… just a warning (not speaking from experience or anything).

If you want to learn more about Chaga Life and the benefits of Chaga liquid, read more here. You can also try my Strawberry, Bailey’s and Chaga Life Popsicles, Chaga Lasagne Soup, Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Chaga Butter Glaze, Crispy Cauliflower Wings with Garlic Chaga Dipping Sauce, Chaga Chutney Toasty. But for now, here’s a delicious treat you can enjoy all year round because who stop eating ice cream just because the season turns cold! For this ice cream, you don’t need an ice cream machine or any other fancy equipment so it really is for any and all. You can use a hand held beater or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to speed things up and make it a little easier on yourself (but mainly make it easier on your arm). This is not necessary though.

If you are lucky enough to be in a country heading into summer (like my home place, Australia), this one’s for you. Get as much rhubarb as you can and get freezing. For now, i’ll just be taking out a bag of my frozen rhubarb puree and making myself a little homemade ice cream and all my European/US friends, please join me. You maybe able to buy jarred rhubarb if you do not have pre-frozen stalks tucked away in the freezer.

Homemade is always the best and most deserved. The real question, how many people will you share your ice cream with? Or maybe it will be kept for one person and one person only - chef treat right? If you’re feasting your eyes on this recipe but thinking “that’s great for my partner to make” or “maybe mum will make this treat for me”, maybe even “Damm! Wish the genie in a bottle really did exist”, ask nicely to the chef of the house and tomorrow maybe your lucky day.

Enjoy

xx

Brown Sugar Crunch No-Churn Ice Cream with Rhubarb and Chaga Swirl

Ingredients

For the Ice Cream

• 500ml double cream

• 315ml condensed milk

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Brown Sugar Crunch

• 1 1/2 cups flour 

• 75 grams unsalted butter, cold and cubed

• 3/4 cup soft brown sugar

For the Rhubarb Chaga Swirl

• 500 grams rhubarb

• 3/4 cup white caster sugar

• 6 frozen strawberries

• 1 cup Chaga Life 

Method

For thee Rhubarb Chaga Swirl; Thoroughly wash the rhubarb and then cut into 5 centimetre pieces. If they are thick stems, cut length ways as well (this will help to shorten the cooking time in breaking them down). 

Place into a small pot along with the sugar and Chaga Life liquid. Cook on high until it has reached a boil, then cover and cook on medium heat until the rhubarb has completely broken down and becomes hair like.  

Remove from the heat and leave too cool. Once cooled, blend in a food processor, along with the frozen strawberries until thick and smooth. Refrigerate until needed.

For the Brown Sugar Crunch; Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the flour in a medium bowl, along with the cubed, chilled butter. Using your finger tips, gently massage the butter into the flour until a grainy sand texture forms and the flour has pretty much been incorporated into the butter. Mix in the sugar and clump together, placing on the parchment - its ok if there are some loose crumbs but best to try get most into finger nail sized clumps. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until turning golden. Remove from the oven and leave too cool. 

For the ice cream; In a standing mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the 3 ice cream ingredients - double cream, condensed milk and vanilla. Whisk on high for 15-20 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Yes, it will take this long, that’s why I suggest (if you do have one) to use a mechanical whisking device.

Once whipped to a peak, fold in 3/4 of the cooled crunch bites - be carful to fold as if you just mix, the cream with deflate and you will end up with a heavier textured ice cream.

Pour into a loaf tin. Carefully pour tablespoonfuls of the rhubarb Chaga syrup onto the top and swirl throughout. Finish with a few swirls on top and last 1/4 of the crunch. 

Freeze for a minimum of 3-4 fours but overnight is best. Serve the remaining rhubarb Chaga syrup alongside when serving. 

Note; because this is a pure ice cream (no preservatives etc) it does take a little longer to soften if you leave it overnight to set. It is best to bring it out 30 minutes before serving to ensure the best consistency for diving in with an ice cream scoop.