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honey-goat cheese ice cream with poached pear swirl

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Honey-Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Poached Pear Swirl

Guys! I made ice cream!

Last summer, I stumbled upon Carey’s gem of a blog, Reclaiming Provincial, by way of this remarkable ice cream — a honey-thyme & blackberry-goat cheese swirl ice cream. Let’s repeat that and just let it marinate for a second.  Honey.  Thyme.  Blackberries.  And goat cheese. I can’t remember the last time I’ve so instantly known that something would be delicious. Creamy yet tangy, probably wonderfully smooth, definitely all-around awesome — I was completely captivated.

So naturally, the moment I found myself with a (highly impractical, highly large, but highly coveted) ice cream maker that I’d thrown on my Amazon wishlist for Christmas and just assumed no one would actually buy for me (Lesson #1 in Amazon-Wishlist-Making: Fully visualize the possibility that you might actually own the thing you are carelessly telling other people to spend their money on for you, also, THANKS MA!) I knew I wanted to try making an ice cream like it.  (Sidenote: Unfortunately, this does require an ice cream maker.  I know, it’s a bummer if you don’t have one…)

But given that this is not quite the season for blackberries, and given that I had just one more pear leftover from the poached pears I made for these pear and almond galettes back in October (yeah, time stops in the freezer), I didn’t make exactly that ice cream. Instead, I went with a riff on Carey’s that incorporates a lot of the same elements, but rearranged a bit — the goat cheese went in the ice cream base, and I pureed the pear with its poaching syrup to make a pear swirl instead.

Honey-Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Poached Pear Swirl Honey-Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Poached Pear Swirl Honey-Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Poached Pear Swirl Honey-Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Poached Pear Swirl

It. Was. Amazing.

Seriously. The goat cheese, paired with the honey, adds a refreshing depth to the full-fat creaminess of an ice cream base that might otherwise verge on heaviness. At the same time, the pear swirl, with its anise, cinnamon, and clove goodness, balances out that bold tanginess with some warm fall flavor, and what’s more, it gives the ice cream a little bit of texture without the seized-up iciness that typically comes with frozen fruit.

I ended up serving this at a couple of friend-gatherings we had over the holidays, and while I got some askance looks at “goat cheese” and “ice cream” in the same breath, almost everyone who tried it gave rave reviews and went back for seconds. I can see the honey and goat cheese working well with any number of things — these pears, figs, and, in a few months, strawberries or those tantalizing blackberries. It’s genius. Thank you so much, Carey! Now I’m going to have to restrain myself from putting goat cheese in every ice cream I make for the rest of forever. And I’m definitely never buying ice cream ever again.

Honey-Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Poached Pear Swirl

A few words about the ice cream machine in case you’re on the market for one — the one that I used was this Hamilton Beach 4-Quart Ice-Cream Maker.  It’s pretty much the cheapest one out there (just $25 on Amazon right now), which is a plus, but be forewarned that it’s enormous.  (Again, Amazon wishlist lesson: Visualize, Cynthia!)  I hadn’t anticipated how huge it would be, so it’s a little unwieldy in my kitchen, but luckily we happened to have the space.  It may not be so if you’re also in New York and know the pains of precious New York kitchen real estate.  It also requires rock salt and a lot of ice to operate, unlike some that have bowls or gel packs that you freeze — besides the fact that I realized it after I came back from the grocery store, I kind of think it’s actually a plus, because freezer space is at more of a premium than kitchen space in our apartment, and this way you aren’t stuck waiting around if you forget to throw the gel pack in the freezer or something like that.  And now I also have enough rock salt to defrost Antarctica, so there’s that.

And okay, lastly — I feel a smidge guilty posting an ice cream recipe that requires churning because for the longest time, prior to getting this ice cream maker, I used to be so bummed out whenever I saw a fantastic recipe and then subsequently discovered I couldn’t make it without churning it.  As my way of apologizing, I present to you a fantastic-looking no-churn fig coffee ice cream by Sarah at The Vanilla Bean Blog — another wonderful flavor combo and a recipe that only needs to be frozen (and doesn’t even need to be stirred from time to time!)  I’m tempted to use condensed milk and cream to see if this can be made no-churn, just to try (and, okay, just to have more goat cheese ice cream because I’m addicted!)  Sarah has an entire array of no-churn recipes (rhubarb! olive oil and vanilla! bittersweet chocolate with fleur de sel!)  just waiting to be not-churned by you. 🙂

Honey-Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Poached Pear Swirl
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Honey-goat cheese ice cream with poached pear swirl

Print Recipe

inspired by and based on this ice cream by Carey at Reclaiming Provincial.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk (I substituted almond milk with wonderful results)
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 3–4 oz fresh or creamy goat cheese (my favorite is Vermont Creamery)
  • 1 poached pear (recipe below)
  • 1 cup poached pear syrup

Instructions

  1. Slice the pear into quarters, then place the pear and poaching syrup into a small pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer on low heat, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, or until pear is very soft and syrup has thickened. (If you’re poaching it on the same day, simply let it simmer for 15-20 minutes longer than the recipe calls for.) Pour the syrup and pear into a blender or food processor and puree. If you want a smoother syrup, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove pulp and use only the resulting syrup. I originally thought I would use just the syrup but loved it with the pear included for a little extra texture. With the pear, this should yield a generous 1/2 cup of puree.
  2. Add the cream, milk, honey, and goat cheese to the same pot and heat over medium heat, stirring until mixture barely begins to bubble on the edges and all ingredients are dissolved. Immediately remove from heat. Let sit, covered, for 20 minutes.
  3. Whisk egg yolks together. Temper by whisking the warm cream mixture into the egg, a spoonful at a time, until you’ve added about half the cream. Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the original saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. For me, this took about 15 minutes (which can feel a bit long, but it’s worth it!)
  4. Refrigerate mixture until chilled — ideally overnight. Process in your ice cream maker as per the manufacturer’s instructions. When ice cream is finished churning, add a layer to the bottom of a large tin. Add a drizzle of the pear syrup, then lightly swirl in with a chopstick or knife. (Don’t worry too much about swirling — you could just drizzle it and add another layer and the swirl effect will come through just fine.) Add another layer of ice cream and repeat. Continue until all the ice cream is in the tin.

Notes

*On the type of goat cheese, I used fresh, not the crumbles, and don’t know how it would taste if you opted for the drier type.

POACHED PEARS

Ingredients

2 cups water
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 anise star
1 cinnamon stick (or about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon)
2-3 medium Bosc pears, ripe but still firm, sliced into halves (I only used two and froze the third)

Instructions

In a pot, combine water, sugar, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, and anise, and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar dissolves, then add the pears and cook for 10-20 minutes or until pears are tender. Remove the pears and reserve the syrup for other uses.

Note: Feel free to adjust the spices to your liking — sometimes I throw in nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom depending on how I’m feeling, and it’s all great.

Reader Interactions

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    • tworedbowls

      Haha! I was a little overwhelmed by the wishlist this Christmas, to be sure. (Bowl #2 and I think that our parents were compensating for the fact that neither of us was able to go home for Christmas this year.) Now I’m a little afraid to put anything on it!

      Oh, I love honey and goat cheese too! If you do, I think you’ll love this ice cream. The flavor is really able to shine. Thanks so much for your comment, Dixya 🙂

      Reply

  2. Kathryn

    Oh, lovely! I’m a relatively new convert to goat cheese (I don’t know what was wrong with me!) but I’m obsessed now. This ice cream sounds totally epic.

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Funny, Kathryn, I actually am too! The tanginess was a little overwhelming for me the first few times I tried it (and I’m still acclimating to bleu cheese), but the moment I had it with fruit I was sold. Thanks for your kind words :):)

      Reply

  4. erika

    Um, AMAZING pictures!!!! And an amazing sounding recipe. You just might shame me into making ice cream sometime soon…I bought an ice cream maker for like $20 off of Craigslist and Erik and I went a little wild putting everything in life into ice cream (red velvet cupcakes, banana bread, candy, etc), but sadly the ice cream maker has been on hiatus for the better part of a year now. And it’s so easy to make right? I’m going to have to try this gourmet combination–reminds me of something you might find at jenni’s splendid ice cream or some fancy pants place!

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Yayy ice cream! Oh my goodness, I feel just like you probably did — I want to make every flavor imaginable. (And yes, so easy!! When the ice cream maker stopped churning it was like magic.) And aw, such kind words <3 thank you so much! 😉 I can't take too much credit for the genius flavor combo, but I appreciate your sweet comment 🙂

      Reply

  5. Lan | morestomach

    yes to ice cream in the winter, in fact Ice Cream for Breakfast Day is coming up and i’ve been daydreaming what icy creamy concoction to make for it.
    i love the addition of goat cheese, i wish there was lactose free goat cheese available because i miss it, alot.

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Haha that’s a DAY?! Um, best day EVER. Ah, such a bummer that goat cheese can’t be made lactose-free 🙁 I was mildly lactose intolerant for most of my childhood (and really intolerant for a few years after I got a bout of food poisoning, interestingly) but rather recklessly ignore it when it comes to ice cream and cheese. I try to limit the intake, but sometimes when it’s really good (…actually, like last night, when I scarfed way too much of this ice cream) I eat too much and suffer for a few hours, lol. I’m super eager to try your lactose-free recipes at some point. Do you ever take Lactaid with your food when it can’t be avoided, or is your intolerance too severe?

      Reply

  9. Sara

    Holy…..where was I when this happened? Why was I not sitting there promptly next to you taking sub-par photos and secretly eating everything? Haha, no, this sounds amazing and kind of adventurous. I think I’m just currently obsessed with goat cheese. Yup, that has to be it.

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Oh my gosh, now that I’ve had goat cheese in ice cream, any ice cream without it tastes so incomplete! And so kind, Nik — I wouldn’t say perfect by any means but I appreciate it 🙂 especially since I love your work. Thank you! 🙂

      Reply

  12. saucygander

    The photos are amazing! As are the flavours. I’ve made dessert goat cheese terrine with similar flavours do can just imagine how good this will be. Don’t have an ice cream maker but now I have ideas about no churn versions…
    Also isn’t Reclaiming Provincial an beautiful blog? 😀

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Yes! Her blog is just impeccable. I want to live in it! And goat cheese terrine sounds so interesting! I’ve never had anything like it! Ooooh, if you make a no churn version, please let me know how it turns out. I had bad luck with one no-churn ice cream I tried (though I suspect it was just because I didn’t use milk that had enough fat content) and I used to be seriously bummed whenever someone posted a churn recipe and I couldn’t give it a try. So I felt guilty posting this!

      Reply

  14. {Main St. Cuisine}

    I just marvel at your photos each and every time I visit here. You probably don’t even need to included the recipe (for me), I just love looking at each little detail in your photos. The flavors in your ice cream sound divine. Sadly, I don’t have an ice cream maker but I think I could just use the technique/recipe you shared for poaching the pears and then cheat a bit and serve them with some really good vanilla ice cream. I know, not the same at all…but I’m sure it would be a lovely treat after Sunday supper.

    Thanks for sharing your recipe and your beautiful photos with us!
    Allison

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Such sweet words, Allison!! I appreciate that so much. And I think that would be totally delicious, too! I had these poached pears on top of oatmeal and in chia pudding, too, and they were wonderful any way I had them. I bet they’d be great with vanilla ice cream. Ugh, and I’m sorry that this is a recipe that needs an ice cream maker! I really felt bad about posting it because I used to get so frustrated and bummed whenever I saw a delicious recipe and then couldn’t make it because it needed the ice cream machine. If you have the space to store it, though, the Hamilton Beach one I linked to above is fairly affordable ($25) and reliable so far, if enormous!

      Reply

      • {Main St. Cuisine}

        Such a great tip regarding the ice cream maker (and a fairly low investment given all the other things in my kitchen…ahem, Le Creuset, etc.).
        Is their a chia pudding recipe posted on your site? I haven’t tried it, but I’m hearing so much about chia seeds and chia pudding lately that I’m intrigued. Those little seeds have been sprinkled on top of many things lately.

        Reply

        • tworedbowls

          Haha! Yes, I think it’s worth it!! You do need quite a bit of ice and rock salt to use it (and best to have an outdoor hose to rinse the bucket down, I do it in the kitchen sink and it gets unwieldy) but it’s reliable and I really like it so far 🙂

          Sadly I haven’t gotten around to posting it! There’s a great one at Big Sis Little Dish here: http://bigsislittledish.wordpress.com/2013/08/25/coconut-chia-seed-pudding/, though when I’m feeling lazy, I just mix the chia seeds with almond milk in roughly a 1:5 ratio, mix in a little vanilla extract and pumpkin spice, let it sit overnight in the fridge, and it’s amazing just like that.

  15. Linda

    Yes! Isn’t homemade ice cream the most incredible revelation ever? It makes me feel like a culinary genius, even if the ice cream machine’s doing most of the heavy lifting. This flavor combination sounds so pretty too – it’s awesome that you were able to substitute almond milk successfully and I love honey in just about anything, especially paired with pears. You and Carey are braver than I—I’ve wanted to make ice cream with goat cheese but have been too scared, because I’m worried it’ll taste *too* much like goat milk.

    It’s been awhile since I’ve used my ice cream machine, but there have been a few flavors that have haunted me for awhile, and I must get to them. Thanks for the reminder! Have fun with yours! The sky’s the limit. 🙂

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Oh my gosh, I know! It makes me want to figure out how to survive on just ice cream. And um, I forgot to mention that you were the brilliant dame who started this whole affair off with your honey-thyme ice cream! I have to try that too!

      Also, I was definitely nervous too that the goat cheese would overpower this ice cream. I actually made two half-batches for this, and I initially only put in 1 ounce for that reason. Then it was so freaking delicious that I had to make another batch! And in the second I dumped in more than double that and it was even better. Idk man. It just works. And I don’t think I’m the biggest goat cheese fan out there, even! You should try it for sure 🙂 (Also, if or when you do, I found that the warm mixture def tasted overpoweringly goat-y, but that it calmed down significantly when frozen.)

      Thanks for your kind words, Linda! 🙂

      Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Ha, right? It’s one of those combinations that makes you think, wait … why doesn’t everyone know about this?! Haha, “from wherever it is they come from” made me laugh — I did almost buy the few boxes of blackberries that are mysteriously on the shelves just because I want to try Carey’s recipe, but thought it might be better to wait, in the end. Til the summer!

      Reply

  18. Jessica (Coco/Mingo)

    Poached pear ice cream?! Good god, does it get any better? I’m actually curious to see how the goat cheese tastes within the ice cream…what an elegant and sophisticated recipe! I need to go out and get an ice cream maker…it was bound to happen sooner or later!! It’s the winter but I refuse to give up ice cream. lol

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Haha! That might be the first time that anyone’s ever described something associated with me as elegant or sophisticated 😉 all thanks to Carey! And you know, I honestly don’t know if ice cream can get any better (unless with blackberries) — this is seriously the best thing I’ve made in a long time. Get an ice cream maker!!! It’s so fun and so delicious 😀

      Reply

  19. Haruka

    Goat cheese and ice cream – what a novel concept! This sounds and looks amazing, Cynthia! Such a fan of your beautiful photography and styling – not to mention your superb taste in kitchen jars. Yup, I have one of those too. 😉

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Hahaha the jars!! Yes! Buying that set was the best money I ever spent on kitchenware. And Haruka, you flatter me! It’s almost hard to believe your words because I’m always so in awe of your work 😉 Thank you so much.

      Reply

  20. carey

    Wooo! Goat cheese in ALL the desserts! That blackberry version I made felt like the epitome of late-summer decadence, and this is 100% its dead-of-winter counterpart. I can’t get enough of warm spices (especially anise and cloves) right now, and I adore them combined with pears. Swirl it all into a goat cheese + honey ice cream and oh man—I want to sit by a roaring fire with a giant bowl of this.

    I can’t wait to see what other things you make with your ice cream machine! (I feel like you and I could probably talk flavor combos for days…hehehe.) I snagged some balsam fir clippings from my parents’ place this weekend that I’m infusing into grain alcohol right now. It smells so divine, I want to turn it into an ice cream somehow—maybe with creme fraiche and dark chocolate? I’d love to infuse the cream with the actual needles instead of using the extract, though, so I may have to see if I can errmm….”forage” some from around here. 😉

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Oh my god balsam fir in ICE CREAM. Carey, yes!!!! And I was just going to suggest dark chocolate and then saw that that’s exactly what you had planned, hahah. Yes yes yes. It’d be like a badass mint chocolate. Between you and Beth and your magical creations with fir clippings, I’m dying to hunt down some myself. (But in NYC…how.) I loved the look of that extract — so crazy vibrant!

      Reply

  21. Jessica's Dinner Party

    I just got an ice cream machine last summer! Only got to use it a few times before it turned to fall…but I guess seasons are really no excuse to put it away! Mine is the attachable kitchen aid bowl one.

    Love the flavors going on here!

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Yes!!! Winter ice cream party! 😀 I know, having gotten this as a Christmas present, I just couldn’t wait to break it in. Our apartment is really well-heated, so it didn’t feel too unreasonable messing around with ice in the kitchen. But for draftier homes, I can see why I’d put it away.

      Thank you, Jessica! 🙂

      Reply

  22. Cate @ Chez CateyLou

    Ice cream in January! Love it! What a great Christmas gift, I can’t wait to see what else you make! I am one of those sad readers who does not have an ice cream maker, so thanks for sharing the link, and I will bookmark this to make next time I am at my parent’s house and can borrow their ice cream maker!

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Awww! Believe me, I feel your pain. I really want to try a no-churn version of this goat cheese ice cream … if I do, I’ll update you for sure! 🙂

      Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Of course! I’m so excited to find them, even if I now have an ice cream maker — I’m sure there will be a ton of times where I’d like to make ice cream, but don’t feel like figuring out how to use extra egg whites or don’t feel like pulling out the gargantuan beast that is the ice cream maker. I can’t wait to try one (or two, or many!) Thanks for stopping by, Sarah! 🙂

      Reply

  24. Laura (Blogging Over Thyme)

    This ice cream looks incredible! Pear, honey, and goat cheese?! I literally couldn’t think of a better combination if I tried.

    HAVE to try this. I finally got a ice cream maker (the attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer) a year ago and I haven’t put it to use enough yet.

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Aw, thank you so much, Laura!!! Oh my gosh, is there anything a KitchenAid mixer can’t do? Those things sound godly.

      Reply

    • tworedbowls

      You’re darling! Thank you so so much 🙂 I had the same reaction the first time I saw it, too .. mmmmm. How will I ever make ice cream without it ever again?

      Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Thank you! Hmm. If you mean the top navigation bar, that was part of the layout. The logo I did by drawing ink on paper, then Bowl #2 helped me digitize it using his tablet. (It was my Christmas present!)

      Reply

  28. Shikha la mode

    This is a truly magical recipe. I also love how you put the ice cream in a loaf pan, because I can never figure out how to store it when I make it at home. Also, your pictures are seriously, SERIOUSLY, the BEST!!!

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Haha! It was a mystery to me too, and then I bought this loaf pan just for that purpose. Trust me to go for months without a loaf pan and then finally buy it, not to make breads, but… to store ice cream. Practical. 😉 Thank you so much for your kind words, Shikha!

      Reply

    • tworedbowls

      So kind, Laura! Thank you!! (And yes to honey drizzle! It was impromptu, but I thought … a little extra honey never hurt anyone.)

      Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Haha, what a lovely comment! 🙂 I’m glad it does come through, since to me there’s very little more exciting than food 😉 And yes, if I’m allowed to say so myself (and I feel like I can, because this was originally Carey’s brilliant idea!), I was really in love with this ice cream! If you ever try it, I think you’ll love it too. One of my favorite things I’ve ever made 🙂 Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂

      Reply

  32. Renee Shuman (@FrolicChocolate)

    gorgeous. i love that you styled it with burlap, a bread tin, and dark metal plates that contrasted the light ice cream. and of course including the spices in the shot is brilliant. did i mention this recipe makes me want to eat ice cream in the middle of a blizzard? never thought i’d say that. pear and goat cheese. oy this is too perfect.

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Such sweet words, Renee!!!! I so appreciate the thoughtful feedback <3 and ha, I know, I was eating this in the midst of the polar vortex with utter abandon!

      Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Hi Katherine!! So sorry it took me so long to get back to you — did you end up trying this? If I remember correctly, it should make about 1 quart of ice cream or a little more than that. I hope you liked it if you gave it a shot!

      Reply

  35. Jordan Leigh

    okay I just stumbled across your blog and I am OB.SESSED. The recipes. The writing. THE PHOTOGRAPHY. Be still my heart. I am blown away. And this ice cream will most certainly be cranked out of my kitchen asap. One question. If I were to use another fruit, how would you suggest incorporating it? I’m not sure how I should go about replacing the pear with another fruit. Still use the poached pear recipe and just sub another fruit? Thank you in advance! You have definitely gained a fan!

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Aww Jordan, you’ve made my day!!!!! I’m smiling so wide at your kind words :):) As for substituting a different fruit, hmm. I think apples would work well and have a similar flavor, but I don’t know of other fruits that you’d be able to poach in the same way. Did you have a fruit in mind? I’d be super curious to see how those warm spices in the poaching syrup would work with a berry, for instance (and I think it maybe could!) but in that case, you’d omit the water and simply boil everything together until the berries dissolved and formed a syrup (in other words, you’d be on your way to making jam). Did that make any sense?! So so excited and happy to have you here! 🙂

      Reply

      • Jordan

        Well I would really like to pair it with a strawberry balsamic flavor. So would I just need to make a loose jam of sorts with whatever fruit I choose? I’m also picturing a blueberry combo with the warm spices simply because that’s how I’ve always prepared my oatmeal. And seriously. Who can resist all this summer fruit!? And oh my stars, cherries. Cherries with goat cheese and honey?? Oh yes. I want it all. My only concern is that the ice cream calls for a cup of the poaching liquid and I want to be sure I have a sufficient liquid replacement

        Reply

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