Rum Raisin Ice Cream

My dad has always had a thing for ice cream. A scoop (or two) makes its way into his bowl nearly every evening. Among the many flavors he enjoys, rum raisin stands out as a perennial favorite.

Curious about the flavor’s backstory, I did some digging. It turns out rum raisin has European roots—Sicilian, to be exact. In the 1930s, it was first crafted using Malaga raisins (used in winemaking) and folded into vanilla gelato. The flavor crossed the Atlantic and was mentioned in an Oklahoma newspaper as early as 1932. But it wasn’t until Häagen-Dazs introduced rum raisin in the early 1980s that it became widely popular in the States—David Lebovitz even references that very moment in his book The Perfect Scoop.

For my dad’s birthday this year, I decided to make him a batch from scratch. Drawing inspiration from Chef Charles N of Radnor Hunt, I gave the raisins the VIP treatment—soaking them for a full 36 hours in dark rum. Myers’s Rum, a family staple, was the spirit of choice. We’ve long used it in everything from rum and tonics to my grandmother’s angel food cake.

The resulting ice cream, made with David Lebovitz’s custard-style base, was deeply creamy and packed with boozy, plump raisins. It’s not for the faint of heart—or the under-21 crowd—but it’s exactly what I hoped for: a grown-up treat worthy of a special occasion.

I asked my dad where he discovered rum raisin as I thought it pre-dated Häagen-Dazs. He said it was likely The Guernsey Cow in Exton, Pennsylvania, not far from where he grew up. They operated from 1931 to 1985 and had a wide selection of traditional and eclectic flavors (such as black licorice). There’s a wonderful nostalgic blog about The Guernsey Cow with many stories including this one from one of the former owners from 2008: “The number one selling alcoholic flavored ice cream was Rum Raisin. It was very popular with senior citizens. I normally made this ice cream with raisins soaked in a sugar solution with artificial rum flavoring and a little yellow coloring. At Christmas Time I altered the formula, soaking dry raisins in 150 proof Bacardi rum over night and using this concoction to flavor the product. It was very potent to say the least. Fortunately children never order rum raisin ice cream. The one problem I had with this flavor was that the rum lowered the freezing point of the product and it was very soft, so it could only be served in dishes and not on cones. I did not tell anyone about my little secret, but my brother once said. “What the heck are you doing back there with all that booze?” Must say we had a lot of happy customers at Christmas time.” 

Rum raisin’s mix of nostalgia and decadence feels just right for the holiday season. It’s a little like fruitcake, if fruitcake were frozen and fabulous. If you have a rum raisin lover in your life—or a dad who eats ice cream every night—consider gifting them a homemade scoop. It’s personal, it’s delicious, and it just might become your new holiday tradition.

Rum Raisin Ice Cream

A boozy ice cream treat

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Course Dessert

Servings 1 quart

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup raisins dark are preferred
• 1/2 cup dark rum such as Myers's Rum
• 1- inch strip of orange rind
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream divided
• 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 4 large egg yolks

Instructions

 

Ahead of Time:

• 36 to 48 hours before preparing the ice cream, add the raisins, rum and orange rind to a small container with a lid. Let sit at room temperature, shaking occasionally. (See Notes.)

Preparation Day:

• Create an ice bath: fill a large bowl with water and ice, and set aside. You want the large bowl with 1 cup heavy cream (and strainer) to sit in it comfortably and not take on water as you’re stirring.
• Warm the milk, sugar, 1/2 cup heavy cream and salt in a medium saucepan (2 to 3 quarts) over medium-low heat until it reaches 170°F.
• Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over the top of the bowl.
• In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warmed milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.
• Then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan. Stir the mixture constantly with a heatproof spatula over medium heat, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour the custard through the strainer and into the remaining heavy cream. Place the bowl in the ice bath. Stir until cool, then chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• When you're ready to freeze the ice cream, drain the raisins over a bowl and reserve the rum. Discard the orange rind. Measure the drained rum and add more, if necessary, so that you have a total of 3 tablespoons. Stir the rum into the custard and discard (or drink!) any extra rum.
• Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the raisins.
• Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving. Can be prepared up to a week in advance.

Notes

• If you only have a few hours to plump the raisins, heat the raisins, rum, and orange rind in a small saucepan. Let simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 2 to 3 hours.
• The rum lowers the freezing point of the ice cream, so it’s very soft even if it’s been frozen for a while. It’s best served in a bowl and not on a cone.

Source:  Adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop, Revised and Updated: 200 Recipes for Ice Creams, Sorbets, Gelatos, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments (2018)