Candied Orange Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Swirl (Crema del Doge)
This sweet and creamy custard-based ice cream is flavored with candied orange syrup and features a swirl of rich and chewy chocolate fudge and bits of candied orange peel studded throughout.
Inspired by a particularly memorable cone of gelato from our travels, Crema del Doge is a flavor fit for a king: sweet cream with a hint of orange, with swirls of dark chocolate fudge and bits of bright candied orange peel mixed right in.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Candied oranges in syrup: this recipe calls for candied orange peel in syrup, and both the peel and the syrup are used as components in this ice cream recipe. There are a few commercial versions available if you don’t want to make your own. You can also use the syrup leftover after making candied orange slices, then either chop up your orange slices for the rest of the ice cream or buy some already dried candied orange peel and chop that up instead.
You can also just use all corn syrup, glucose syrup, golden syrup, or even tapioca syrup in the recipe instead; this will make for a chewier final texture and less orange flavor. Something like an orange-flavored beverage syrup (though I’d recommend only using 1/4 cup at most, and the rest corn syrup to approximate a similar texture and flavor). Honey, while technically an invert sugar like the other syrups mentioned, would work similarly, but the honey flavor would most definitely overpower everything else; for that reason I do not recommend using more than a tablespoon or two in this recipe.
Candied orange peel: If you made the candied orange peel in syrup you have both the syrup and the orange peel pieces you need for this recipe. That said, you can also buy candied orange peel that has already been dried/crystalized, just chop it up into small pieces and fold or layer it into your final churned ice cream.
Orange extract: just a little bit of orange extract mixed in to the final ice cream base will help enhance the orange flavor, but it is optional and can be left out.
Guar Gum: adding just a little bit of powdered guar gum to your ice cream base will give it a smoother texture and a longer shelf life (I find homemade ice creams often get weird and chewy after a week or two, the guar gum helps prevent that). That said, you can leave it out.
Ingredients
For Ice Cream:
- 1 ½ cups / 360 g whole milk
- 1 ½ cups / 360 g heavy cream, divided
- ½ cup / 160 g candied orange syrup*
- 5 large egg yolks
- pinch fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon guar gum, optional
- ¼ teaspoon orange extract, optional (use more or less to taste)
For Fudge Swirl:
- ½ cup / 100 g granulated sugar
- ½ cup / 120 g heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons / 35 g Dutch process cocoa powder
- ¼ cup / 85 g corn syrup
- pinch fine sea salt
- 2.5 oz / 70 g dark chocolate, chopped
- ⅔ cup / 170 g chopped candied orange peel
Instructions
1.Drain about 10 ounces of candied orange peel in syrup, separating the syrup from the solid peel. Spread pieces of peel out on a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and let dry out for a day or so; once they've dried out a bit, chop into 1/4-inch pieces and toss with granulated sugar to keep the bits from sticking together (if using already dried candied orange peel, skip this step and just chop it).
2.In a medium saucepan, combine milk, 1/2 cup of cream (keep remaining 1 cup heavy cream in the refrigerator for later), and strained orange syrup and salt. If you don't have quite enough orange syrup, you can top it off with light corn, golden, glucose or tapioca syrup to make 1/2 cup.
3.Place saucepan over medium heat and warm until it starts to steam and bubble around the edges, but don't let it fully boil.
4.Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks in a bowl until smooth and one shade lighter in color.
5.Slowly ladle hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, 1/4 cup at a time, whisking continuously, until about half of the milk mixture has been incorporated and egg yolk mixture is hot to the touch. This 'tempering' step will prevent the egg from scrambling when added to the hot milk mixture.
6.Pour egg yolk mixture into saucepan with remaining milk; reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and mixture reaches 170 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.
7.Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve into heat-proof bowl.
8.Whisk together 1 tablespoon granulated sugar with powdered guar gum in a small bowl. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of cold cream until evenly dissolved, then stir into warm ice cream base along with the rest of the reserved heavy cream and orange extract (if using).
9.Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until completely chilled through (the colder the ice cream base is, the more quickly it will churn).
For Fudge Swirl:
1.In a saucepan, combine sugar, cream, cocoa powder (sifted if clumpy), corn syrup and salt. If you have any candied orange syrup left you can use it in place of some of the corn syrup.
2.Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture just starts to bubble. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate, gently stirring until completely melted and smooth.
3.Let cool for 15 minutes, then transfer to a piping bag or a zip-top plastic bag. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or let sit at cool room temperature for an hour or two until you're ready to use. If fudge was chilled for longer, let it warm up to room temperature for an hour or so before you need to swirl. Cut off the corner of the bag or fit with a 1/4-inch piping tip.
Churn Ice Cream:
1.Pour chilled ice cream base into ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer's instructions.
2.Have a shallow, long container (like a loaf pan), pre-chilling in the freezer while your ice cream churns.
3.Once ice cream reaches the consistency of soft serve, spoon a bit into your chilled container, spreading it out into an even layer. Sprinkle with candied orange bits (smush them a bit to mix up with the cream), and squeeze a squiggle of fudge over top. Repeat with additional layers of ice cream, orange bits, and fudge, until container is filled and all of ice cream has been used. End with a final sprinkle of candied orange and a drizzle of fudge, then place container in the freezer to freeze overnight until solid.
4.If storing in the freezer for more than a few days, press a piece of parchment paper onto the surface of the ice cream or cover container with a lid to prevent freezer burn. With the guar gum, the ice cream will keep quite well for about a month.
Notes
If you don’t have quite enough orange syrup, you can top it off with any other syrup (like corn syrup, tapioca syrup, or golden syrup) to make 1/2 cup.
You can also make a quick(ish) orange syrup by combining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water with a few strips of orange peel. Cook until it begins to boil and the sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool to lukewarm, then remove orange peel and proceed according to instructions.
