Make your own ice cream with Thomas Jefferson’s recipe

While serving as our new country’s ambassador to France, Thomas Jefferson discovered a gastronomical world that included ice cream. He may have introduced the treat to Martha and George Washington. We do know there were two ice cream makers in their household inventory.

A few years later, a free black woman named Sallie Shadd, who owned a Wilmington, Delaware tearoom successfully experimented with adding berries to vanilla ice cream. Dolly Madison invited her to make the treat at the White House for an inaugural party for her husband, James Madison. A guest at the party celebrating James Madison’s second term wrote about the wonderful pink ice cream he’d enjoyed. Its luscious pink was matched by the dress Dolly wore.

Following is an updated version of Jefferson’s 1784 recipe for egg yolk-rich French ice cream, with the addition of fresh raspberries, one of the White House garden fruits. (You can also use strawberries, which is what Sallie Shad did.)

Raspberry Ice Cream

Serves 10

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 vanilla pod, split

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

8 ounces fresh raspberries

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1. In a medium saucepan, add the milk, heavy cream and vanilla pod. Heat slowly to just below boiling.

2. In a bowl using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick.

3. Remove the vanilla pod from saucepan and scrape the seeds into the liquid. Pour the liquid into the egg yolk-sugar mixture and stir to combine.

4. Pour the mixture back into the pan and heat slowly to just below boiling, stirring until mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

5. When cold, pour into an electric ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

6. Mash the raspberries and strain through a sieve into a bowl. Stir the powdered sugar into the strained berries.

A few minutes before the end of freezing in the ice cream maker, swirl in the raspberry sauce through the slot in the machine. Spoon into an airtight plastic container and place in freezer for at least an hour before serving.

–– Michael Turback, author of A Month of Sundaes

Expert from Clara Silverstein’s cookbook, “A White House Garden Cookbook: Healthy Ideas from the First Family for Your Family.” (Red Rock Press)

Clara Silverstein’s “A White House Garden Cookbook: Healthy Ideas from the First Family for Your Family” is packed with a whole section on deliciously light and healthy springtime recipes, making the most of seasonally available fruits, vegetables, and herbs! Best of all, the recipes all have kids in mind, and are intended to get kids to try and love new fruits and vegetables!

The recipes come from First Families as well as from kids’ and community gardens around the country. The spring chapter contains 30 fantastic springtime recipes, including Spring Stir-Fry, Cilantro Pesto, Michelle Obama’s famous White House No-Cream Creamed Spinach, and many more.

Visit www.redrockpress.com/delicious” for more information about “A White House Garden Cookbook: Healthy Ideas from the First Family for Your Family” by author Clara Silverstein.