Spicy Ginger Ice Cream

I LOVE ginger ice cream, it always reminds me of my aunt and grandmother. This year I made it a mission to make the spiciest ice cream I could, and I think I've done it! The key is to use fresh ginger root and funny enough, I actually found (from multiple trips) that the ginger from our local Grand Mart is much spicier than from our local Harris Teeter (plus you can get these massive roots for much cheaper). Another key is to candy a portion of your fresh ginger. This way the syrup is infused with the extract and you can get all the ginger flavor you need! This ice cream goes great with apple pie or pecan pie, but won't last long (it's that good)! Cheers!

Ingredients:

150 grams fresh ginger root

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1/2 tsp gelatin poder

2 tbsp water

Directions:

1. Chop up half the ginger into big chunks. With the remaining 75 grams, dice the ginger finely in order to pleasantly consume the root that you will be candying later

2. In a medium saucepan on medium-low heat add 75 grams of the big chunk ginger, 3/4 cup sugar, heavy cream and milk. Stir until sugar dissolves and remove from the heat. Let sit for 30 minutes

3. In a separate saucepan on medium-low heat add remaining diced ginger and remaining sugar. Let the sugar melt and stir slowly. Keep stirring ginger and sugar so the oils from the ginger seep into the melting sugar. Candy the ginger for 25 minutes, but do not let the mixture caramelize

4. After the ice cream mixture has cooled, strain mixture and pour back into saucepan. Place back on stove on low heat

5. Bloom your gelatin in a small glass (take your powdered gelatin and sprinkle it over the cold water and let sit for 3-5 minutes)
6. Add bloomed gelatin to saucepan and whisk until gelatin has dissolved
7. Add candied ginger along with syrup to saucepan and mix to make sure syrup and ginger have been fully incorporated
8. Remove from heat and pour into ice cream maker. Freeze ice cream following manufacturer's instructions