RECIPE: Celebrate International Whiskey Day with Whiskey Ice Cream!

Happy International Whiskey Day!

Whisk(e)y is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash or by distilling beer. Various grains are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. These grains may be malted, meaning that they were germinated and dried. Whiskey is typically aged in wooden casks, usually made of charred oak.

If you are wondering about the spelling, whiskey— with an e — is used in the United States and Ireland. It is spelled whisky—without the e—in Scotland and Canada, which are both well known for their whisk(e)y. France also seems to spell it without an e. I personally prefer to spell it with an e.

It might surprise you that there is a whisky distillery in the heart of Champagne, near the Montagne de Reims. Founded by Thierry Guillon, La distillerie Guillon has been producing its spirits since 1997. What makes these whiskies so remarkable is their nod to French terroir — they are aged in oak barrels previously used for white, red, sparkling, and fortified wine maturation, imparting the unique distinguishing flavours of the wines into the whiskies.

Whisky Guillon Finition Fût de Sauternes is a particularly popular bottle that was highly recommended to me. Aged for five years in old Sauternes barrels, this whisky is round and fruity, amber in colour with a hint of gold. For my readers who are not familiar with Sauternes, these are sweet wines produced in the Graves region of Bordeaux, France. This wine is made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot. The flavours of the Sauternes give a smoothness and sweetness to the whisky, as well as distinctive flavours of blossoms, honey, candied fruit, and gingerbread. It tastes great on its own (neat and on the rocks), as well as in desserts.

I wanted to share a delicious experiment I made using this whiskey: ice cream sandwiches! The ice cream is fantastic because you don’t need to churn it, it stays nice and fluffy, and it can last for a few months in your freezer — in fact, the flavours will develop over time, making it one of the most decadent ice creams you will ever have. It most likely won’t be stuck in your freezer for that long though, because it is way too delicious.

INGREDIENTS

For Ice Cream
1-2 shot glasses of Whisky Guillon Finition Fût de Sauternes
5 whole cloves
460g heavy whipping cream
1 can condensed milk
1 vanilla bean
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2-3 heaping spoonfuls crushed pistachios, unsalted
Optional (for garnish): more crushed pistachios, honey or maple syrup, bergamot zest, food-grade gold leaf

For Cookies
The best thing to use is something relatively thin but soft, so that you can easily bite through it. Shortcrust (or most pie/tart crusts) make the perfect ice cream sandwich cookies. I made mine using leftover almond shortcrust.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Night before: pour whiskey into a jar or glass and add cloves. Cover and set aside.
2. Day of: In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form — be careful not to over-whip.
3. In another large bowl, mix the vanilla, spices, maple syrup, and pistachios into the sweetened condensed milk. Remove cloves from whiskey and pour whiskey into the mixture. Continue to mix.
4. Gently fold in the whipped cream with a spatula, slowly incorporating the two mixtures together so it stays light and aerated.
5. Transfer the mixture to sealable containers (I used a freezer-proof glass container with a snap-lid), something shallow and flat is best if you are going to make ice cream sandwiches. Freeze for at least 6 hours; ideally overnight.
6. To made the sandwiches, find a cookie cutter that is the same size as your sandwich cookies, preferably metal. Run under hot water, then press into ice cream, to create sandwich filling. Place in between two cookies.
7. To garnish, roll outside of sandwich in crushed pistachio. Brush a thin layer of honey on top cookie and grate on bergamot zest. Sprinkle gold on top. Enjoy!