Green Tea Ginger Ice Cream with Duchy Originals Shortbread

It’s no secret that I love Walker’s Shortbread. The sherbet that I made with their cookies a while back is still one of my all time favorites! My mom, though she made amazing shortbread, hated baking cookies. She usually only did for the holidays. When she wanted a quick shortbread fix, she bought Walkers. It’s all natural and made from the exact same ingredients we have in our kitchens.

Not only good for just eating, they’re also fun to incorporate into recipes, like the sherbet I mentioned (I made lime bars using Walker’s Shortbread as the crust, and added those bars to a tart, lemon lime sherbet.), and this Green Tea Ginger Ice Cream.

Walkers is carrying a new line called Duchy Originals. These are just the comforting sort of cookie you want when you’ve had a long day, or when you’re sitting down to have some tea with friends. Some facts about the cookies:

• The brand is founded by HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales.
• Traditionally baked by Walkers Shortbread in the Scottish Highlands.
• This new line adheres to the brand's commitment to produce a product that "Is Good, Does Good, Tastes Good."
• The shortbread and biscuits are made using wheat and stone-ground oats from U.K. organic farms, including from The Duchy Home Farm, The Prince's estate in the beautiful Cotswolds region of southwestern England. The Duchy Home Farm became fully organic in 1986, and is now an internationally-recognized model of best practices in organic farming.
• Duchy Originals from Waitrose are all-natural, OU Kosher and suitable for vegetarians. The brand does not support the use of GMOs in its products. No bovine growth hormones are given to the cows that yield the milk that is used to produce the butter.
• A donation from the sale of Duchy Originals from Waitrose products is given to The Prince of Wales's Charitable Foundation. The foundation funds worthwhile causes throughout the world and in the U.S. it has helped fund education rebuilding initiatives in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, urban regeneration projects in Atlanta, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, the Breakthrough Breast Cancer, and the Harvard AIDS Institute.

So you see? You can feel good about supporting a brand like that! I was sent some samples to try, and I have to say, it’s tough to choose a favorite, so I won’t. I set some aside to make this Green Tea Ice Cream, though!

Green Tea Ginger Ice Cream

Makes just over one quart.

2/3 cup boiling water
12 green tea bags (I used a Green Tea, Passion Fruit and Coconut blend)
1 cup sugar
3 cups half and half
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp minced candied ginger
1 cup Duchy Originals Organic Ginger Shortbread Cookies, broken into chunks

Begin by steeping the tea bags in the boiling water. It's not much water, so you do have to push the tea bags down into it. Let them steep for about 5 minutes. Squeeze the tea bags over the water and then discard them. Chill the tea completely in the fridge.

When you're ready to make your ice cream, in a good sized mixing bowl, whisk the tea, sugar and half and half. Whisk until all of the sugar is dissolved. Then whisk in the heavy cream.

Freeze the mixture according to your ice cream maker's instructions. When it's done freezing, pour it into an airtight container, then carefully fold in the candied ginger and the cookies. Freeze overnight, or for at least a good amount of time to let the ice cream firm up.

Store in the freezer.

• This ice cream is very refreshing and light, and not too sweet, considering there are cookies and candied ginger in there. It would be lovely and very welcome after a heavy or spicy meal.

• The Duchy Originals are also good just crumbled over a bowl of ice cream or a bowl of fresh fruit. Also, try them with a dollop of whipped cream and a few berries or a slice of peach over the top.

Comments

[Heather]

i'm 110% sure i'd eat that whole quart single-handedly. no doubt!

[kat]

That looks like some fabulous ice cream! I'm such a huge shortbread fan, you had me sold at that.

[jen]

Love the plate! Where did you find it?

[Elle]

Hi Jen! It's a sushi set from Pier 1.

Thank you, everyone!

[Amy (Savory Moments)]

Oh boy - this ice cream looks so good. I love ginger so I know I would be a fan. I've just gotten an ice cream maker this summer so I've been enjoying making ice cream.