Ube, aka purple yam, is a tuber native to the Philippines. It is closely related to the sweet potato.
Starchy and sweet, the purple yam is widely used in desserts in the Philippines and elsewhere in Asia, but it can also be served as a savory side larded with butter.
These bright purple-fleshed yams are good for you, too. They are high in fiber and antioxidents.
I’ve seen the yams (actually ube powder) used to color breads and cookies and Trader Joe’s, always ahead of the curve, in now carrying ube ice cream. Obviously, I was intrigued.
So, I decided to try making some purple ice cream. I used the Easy Vanilla Ice Cream recipe previously posted here (see link below)and added 2 cups of boiled purple yams. I put some of the half and half called for in thge ice cream recipe in my blender with the cooked yams and blitzed it until it was smooth. I then proceeded with the ice cream following the usual directions. The ice cream is beautiful. The flavor is subtle. There is a bit of texture in this ice cream which I enjoyed but I may try putting the batter through a sieve next time to get it a bit smoother.
If you have a sense of adventure, you will want to try this recipe.
Purple Yam (Ube) Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 C. purple yams (peeled and cut into large dice)
- 2 C. half and half (divided)
- 2 C. heavy cream
- 1/2 t. vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 3/4 to 1 C. granulated sugar
- 1/2 t. salt
Directions
- Step 1 Peel and dice two cups of purple yams. Boil them in water until they are soft but not water-logged. Mash the yams.
- Step 2 Combine the mashed yams with 1 C. of the half and half. Blend in a strong blender until very smooth. (I used my Vitamix.)
- Step 3 Combine the blended yam batter with the remaining cup of half and half, vanilla, and the heavy cream. Heat on the stove until the mixture reaches a simmer, stirring occasionally. Once the batter reaches a simmer, take it off the stove immediately.
- Step 4 Stir sugar and salt into the hot batter, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until cool.
- Step 5 Prepare your ice cream maker according to your manufacturer’s instructions and process your ice cream. Serve immediately or put into an airtight container and freeze until the ice cream is solid. If you do freeze the ice cream before serving, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften before serving.
Here is a link to the ice cream recipe I used as the base: Vanilla Ice Cream. This recipe is adapted from a New York Times recipe.
