No-Churn Fig and Amaretto Ice Cream

From mid-August through the first week or so of September, my mornings go something like this: wake up, inhale coffee, pick figs.

I have only one tree, but it’s prolific, so every day is a battle between me, the birds, and the chipmunks to see who gets to them first. I used to take it as an affront ~ a sign of personal failure ~ whenever I came upon a fig, or two or three, that had been torn open by a beak or (worse) gnawing little chipmunk teeth.

Finally, my husband suggested I think of the lost figs as a “nature tax.” Brilliant (how well he knows me). My resentment melted away. After all, there are plenty of figs to go around; I always end up with enough to make a couple of batches of jam, plus a crostata or two. There are even enough left over for this fig and amaretto ice cream. Why not share the wealth?

This ice cream is pure and simple; it doesn’t require an egg-based custard, and there is no churning. I have an ice cream machine and I don’t mind taking the time to make a good custard-base ice cream. But my freezer is packed at the moment and there’s no room to chill the container. Plus, no-churn seems like the right way to go these last lazy days of summer.

My tree produces brown turkey figs, which are small and thin-skinned, with ruby-red flesh that is already a little jammy even before being cooked. They turn the ice cream a beautiful dusky rose, with streaks and spots of pink, purple, and brown. Any fresh fig should work, though, whether brown or purple or green, small or large. Adding amaretto (almond liqueur) is optional; I like the way it complements the fruit’s mild floral flavor, and since figs and almonds grow together, it makes sense that they also go together.

(BTW, if you have a fig tree or access to fig leaves, you can also make delicious, delicately flavored fig leaf ice cream; here’s a recipe I posted a few years back.)

NO-CHURN FIG AND AMARETTO ICE CREAM
Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients
1 pound ripe figs, such as brown turkey, quartered (tips removed)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 to 4 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy cream, chilled
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
1. Place a metal loaf pan into the freezer to chill.

2. Combine the figs, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Set the saucepan over medium heat use a potato masher to mash up the fruit a bit as it starts to heat up. Bring to a simmer and cook at a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes, just to slightly soften the figs.

3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the cinnamon and amaretto (start with 2 tablespoons and add more to taste). Let cool for 30 minutes, or until it reaches room temperature, then whisk in the condensed milk.

4. Whip the chilled cream with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the fig and condensed milk mixture. Scrape the mixture into the chilled loaf pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Cover tightly with plastic wrap (I secure the wrap onto the pan with a rubber band). Freeze until solid, at least 4 hours.

5. To serve, remove the ice cream from the freezer 10 to 15 minutes ahead of time to let it soften a bit before scooping. Garnish each serving with fresh fig halves. (This ice cream is also delicious drizzled with bittersweet chocolate sauce.)