Orange Occasions: Tangerine Cheesecake Ice Cream

After yesterday's post, I think I should just declare orange week. One of my favorite food blogs, Modern Comfort Food, coincidentally wrote about a dreamy tangerine cheesecake ice cream. This recipe touches upon two of my current obsessions: bright colors and warm weather. At the same time, I'm not the type to turn down ice cream, even in winter. It is citrus season after all...

Tangerine Cheesecake Ice Cream (Modern Comfort Food)

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups tangerine (or, if you prefer, orange) juice
2 cups milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch
2 egg yolks
6 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon or orange zest
(Optional) 1 teaspoon citrus-flavored liqueur (such as Grand Marnier)

Preparation

1. In a large sauce pan, bring the tangerine juice to a boil on high heat and cook until it has reduced in volume to 1 1/2 cups. Lower the heat to medium-low, stir in the milk, and heat the mixture until it just reaches the simmer point.
2. While the juice and milk are heating and in a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, corn starch, cheese, and egg yolks until very well blended. Whisking continuously, gradually add two cups of the hot juice/milk mixture to the sugar mixture until well blended. Drizzle this mixture into the juice/milk in the saucepan, whisking continuously, and heat on medium-low for approximately five minutes or until the mixture thickens. Remove from burner and stir in the zest and the optional liqueur, if the latter is used.
3. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator until very cold, preferably overnight.
4. When fully chilled, pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Makes approximately 8 one-cup servings.

Images via Modern Comfort Food