Hojicha Ice Cream

A recipe for Hojicha Ice Cream! This rich and creamy treat is infused with Hojicha (roasted green tea) for a light, toasted flavor.

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I have had a longtime love of green tea, but only recently learned about Hojicha since moving to Los Angeles. Hojicha (ほうじ茶) is created by roasting green tea leaves over charcoal. This results in a light reddish-brown color with a toasted, more subtle flavor. Due to the roasting process, Hojicha also has a lower caffeine content- making it perfect for an evening tea, palate cleanser, or to infuse in this Hojicha Ice Cream! 

I served the Hojicha Ice Cream with whipped cream, fresh mint leaves, and Hojicha Kit Kats (I came across these at Rocket Fizz in the Irvine Spectrum Center- Irvine, California).

I was able to find Hojicha leaves at my local Japanese market. It can also be found on Amazon: Hojicha. I haven’t personally tried it, but there is also a Hojicha powder that doesn’t require any straining at all. 

When straining the infused milk, be sure to press the leaves down in the strainer with the back of a spoon or spatula to get out as much liquid and flavor as possible.

After adding the eggs to thicken the cream, take care to not increase the heat to try to speed up the process. Stir constantly and heat just until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Otherwise, you may end up with cooked, curdled cream. If the mixture does curdle, I have been able to save ice cream by blending it until smooth in a stand blender or with an immersion blender as a last resort. 

I usually skip this step, but to help get a creamier texture and chill the mixture faster you can place the bowl of custard over an ice bath for a few minutes right after it is removed from the stove. Be careful not to get water into the custard. I generally just place the the bowl straight in the refrigerator and allow to chill overnight. Stir occasionally if you want to speed up the process a bit.

Looking for more ice cream recipes?

Try Helado de Horchata (Horchata Ice Cream), Honey Peach Ice Cream, and Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches. 

Hojicha Ice Cream Recipe

Adapted from All Day I Eat

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Hojicha Ice Cream

A recipe for Hojicha Ice Cream. This rich and creamy treat is infused with Hojicha (roasted green tea leaves) for a light, toasted flavor.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword asia, asian, dessert, green tea, hojicha, ice cream, Japan, Japanese, tea

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Resting Time: 5 hours

Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons loose leaf Hojicha
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk and heavy cream over medium heat. Once hot, but not boiling, remove from heat and add the Hojicha leaves. Cover and allow to steep for 30 minutes.
• Strain the steeped milk and cream mixture into a bowl, pushing against the tea leaves with the back of a spoon or spatula to get out as much liquid as possible. Discard the leaves.
• Pour the strained milk and cream mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium-low heat.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks.
• While continuing to beat the sugar and eggs, slowly pour in a tablespoon of the heated milk and cream. Once incorporated, slowly stream in and whisk another 1/2 cup. Slowly pour the mixture back into the saucepan over medium-low heat while whisking. Cook while continuing to stir until just thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 170-180 degrees F.
• Whisk in the vanilla extract, remove from heat, and transfer to a heat-safe bowl. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, a few hours to overnight.
• Transfer the chilled mixture to an ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Once thickened and creamy, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.