FIG / LEAF

RECIPE 01 / FROZEN DESSERT

Fig leaf
ice cream

Toasted fig leaves infused into a smooth custard. Served cold, with fresh figs and pistachios.

Recipe by Vy Tran

View recipe
A teacup of ice cream resting on green fig leaves with a silver spoon
01 / Ice cream, fig leaves, and a silver spoon

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Serves
8
Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Infuse
2–8 hrs
Chill
4+ hrs
Churn
25–30 min
Freeze
4+ hrs

Start the day before. Allow about 30 minutes for the ice bath, plus the infusion, chilling, and freezing time above. Freeze your machine’s bowl in advance if required.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Ingredients

Ice cream base

  • 2 oz fresh fig leaves, washed and dried
  • 2½ cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup full-fat milk
  • ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 4 large egg yolks

To serve

  • 1 pint fresh figs, quartered
  • ¼ cup chopped pistachios

Equipment

Saucepan, heatproof bowl, whisk, spatula, fine-mesh sieve, ice bath, ice cream machine, and an airtight freezer container.

PREPARATION

Method

01 / INFUSION

  1. Toast the leaves

    Prepare the leaves: wash and dry them thoroughly. Heat the oven to 325°F. Toast the fig leaves directly on the center rack for about 8 minutes, until dry and fragrant but not burned.

  2. Warm the dairy

    Warm the milk, cream, and ¼ cup sugar over low heat. Crumble in the toasted leaves and keep warm for 5 minutes without letting the mixture boil.

  3. Let it steep

    Remove from heat, cover, and steep for at least 2 hours. For a stronger infusion, chill and steep overnight, up to 8 hours.

Fresh green fig leaves
Fresh leaves
Toasted dry fig leaves
After toasting

02 / CUSTARD

  1. Strain the infusion

    Strain the infused dairy through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, remove the leaves, and gently bring the dairy back to a simmer.

  2. Temper the yolks

    Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until pale. Slowly whisk in hot cream in ¼-cup additions to temper the yolks, then return everything to the saucepan.

  3. Cook the custard

    Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat a spatula, about 15 minutes. Avoid boiling the custard.

  4. Strain once more

    Strain the cooked custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean heatproof container.

  5. Cool and chill

    Cool the base in an ice bath for approximately 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Toasted fig leaves steeping in a saucepan of dairy
Infused dairy, before straining

03 / FINISH

  1. Churn

    Churn in an ice cream machine until soft-serve texture, about 25–30 minutes.

  2. Freeze until firm

    Transfer to a freezer container, press parchment against the surface, seal, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

  3. Scoop and serve

    Serve with quartered fresh figs and chopped pistachios.

Freshly churned ice cream in a metal canister
Soft texture after churning
A metal scoop and scoops of ice cream in a metal tin
Frozen until firm
Finished ice cream served with fresh figs and pistachios on a ceramic plate
To serve / fresh figs, pistachios, and a cold scoop.

STORAGE / INGREDIENT NOTES

Recipe notes

Choose the leaves carefully

Use young, undamaged fig leaves and wash them well. The leaves are removed after infusion. Fresh figs are for serving, not a substitute for the leaves.

Keep the sugar divided

Use ¼ cup in the dairy and the remaining ¼ cup with the yolks. This is a churned custard recipe; a no-churn version has not been tested for this project.

Make it your own

Pistachios are optional. Toasted coconut is another serving option. The base contains dairy and eggs; the pistachio topping contains tree nuts.

Store for another day

Keep in an airtight freezer container with parchment pressed against the surface. Enjoy within two weeks for the best texture; the recipe source lists up to one month of freezer storage. Add fresh figs and toppings just before serving.