Chaider Ice Cream (Chai Apple Cider)
Rich, spiced, and deeply cozy, this chaider (chai apple cider) ice cream brings together aromatic black tea, chai spices, and reduced apple cider for the ultimate autumn dessert.
Servings: 8 servings (2 pints)
Calories: 290kcal
Equipment
- 2-Quart Saucepan
- Fine-Mesh Sieve
- Whisk
- Compressor-Style Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
Apple Cider Syrup
- 100 g cane sugar
- 454 g apple cider
Chai-Infused Milk
- 450 g whole milk
- 4 tbsp chai
Remaining Ice Cream Ingredients
- 350 g heavy cream
- 75 g skim milk powder
- 0.8 g guar gum
- 4 g vanilla extract
- 1 g kosher salt
Instructions
Cook the Apple Cider Syrup
- First, bring 350 g heavy cream to room temperature. Set aside.
- Add 100 g cane sugar and 454 g apple cider to a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over low heat until thick and syrupy (about 1 hour). You should end up with 150 g of thickened syrup. Let cool slightly.
- Slowly stir in the room-temperature heavy cream, whisking constantly, until it thickens into a loose caramel consistency.
Do not add the chai milk directly to the hot cider syrup! I learned the hard way that the acidic cider syrup will instantly curdle the milk. Tempering the syrup with the high-fat heavy cream first creates a stable emulsion that protects the rest of your dairy.
Infuse the Milk
- While the syrup cooks, add 450 g whole milk and 4 tbsp chai to a separate pot.
- Heat over medium-low until steaming, then turn off the heat, cover, and let steep for 30-60 minutes.
- Strain out the tea.
- Slowly stir the warm chai milk into the cream/syrup mixture, whisking constantly until everything is homogenous. Let cool.
If the mixture starts to separate at all, use an immersion blender to bring it back together.
Make the Ice Cream
- In a large clean, dry bowl, whisk the 75 g skim milk powder and 0.8 g guar gum together.
- Strain the cooled milk/cream mixture over the SMP and guar gum, whisking constantly to combine. Stir in 4 g vanilla extract and 1 g kosher salt.
- If your base is still warm, chill until it reaches fridge temperature, then churn.
- Let set in the freezer for at least 4 hours (up to overnight) before serving.
Video
Notes
- If you want a stronger or weaker chai flavor, adjust the amount rather than the steep time. If you steep for too long, the clove and peppercorn can turn bitter.
- Strain well with a fine-mesh sieve to remove the tea leaves. No one wants a bit of tea in their ice cream.
- Some ciders are sweeter or thinner than others, so reduction time can swing a fair bit—go by the ⅓ cup volume target rather than the clock.
- For a richer version, swirl in a few spoonfuls of apple cider caramel sauce after churning.
