Today I got a lesson in history.
At my school, the eight grade social studies classes are studying the period of time around when Thomas Jefferson was alive .
It seems that Thomas Jefferson was a early fan of ice cream and even created his own recipe.
Who knew?
I had a couple of boys ask me if they could make the ice cream in my foods lab and freeze it for their class presentation on Thomas Jefferson.
Of course I said, “yes.”
So this morning when I arrived at school, I had two nice young men waiting outside my classroom door with their ingredients to make Thomas Jefferson Ice Cream.
Here is the recipe that was made from the deciphered original recipe from Thomas Jefferson.
Thomas Jefferson Ice Cream
2 quarts whipping cream
1 vanilla bean
2 cups sugar
6 egg yolks
Directions:
Heat the whipping cream on medium heat in a sauce pan on the stove. Add the vanilla bean and simmer for 5 minutes. In a mixer, mix together the egg yolks and the sugar. This mixture will be very thick. When the cream is heated remove the vanilla bean and slowly add 1 cup of the hot cream to the egg yolk mixture. This is temper the yolks (bring up the temperature without cooking the eggs). Slowly add the rest of the cream and mix together with the mixer. When it is all mixed together, pour the ice cream mixture through a strainer or cheese cloth.
Place in the refridgerator to chill for several hours. When chilled, use a ice cream maker to finish making into ice cream.
The boys did not want to use my electric ice cream maker I have at school to finish freezing their ice cream. So, we just put it in tupperware containers and put it the freezer.
Their presentation is tomorrow.
photo credit here is one picture of the gardens at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson
I did not know that Thomas Jefferson could cook….I thought he just planted flowers.
I wonder if I will get a nibble.
It is not everyday you get a chance to sample presidential ice cream.
I will have my spoon ready, just in case.
Becky
