Directions

The components of this recipe are best prepared the night before you want to make the actual ice cream.  Bake the crumble, poach the rhubarb, and cook the ice cream base so that when you’re ready to freeze the ice cream everything will be ready and at a cooled temperature.

For the crumble (make ahead, as much as several days)

• Preheat oven to 375 F.  Line a baking sheet with foil or silpat.
• Combine all crumble ingredients (flour, butter, brown sugar) together with a fork, or your hands, to create pea sized crumbs.  Place on baking sheet.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven and set aside to cool.
• Once cool, break apart and reserve until you make the ice cream.

Prepare Rhubarb

• Chop rhubarb into smaller stalks, about 2-4″ long.
• Combine sugar, water, and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan.  Bring to boil.
• Add rhubarb and reduce heat immediately.
• Poach for 90 seconds and then remove rhubarb from liquid to cool.
• Continuing cooking the liquid on very low heat for as long as necessary to make a nice thick syrup – approx. 15 minutes.  It will continue to thicken upon cooling, but you want to get it almost thick enough over the heat.
• Remove syrup from heat, cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate.
• Puree cooled rhubarb in a blender.  Refrigerate.

Ice Cream

• Combine 1 c cream, sugar, salt, and seeds from the vanilla bean in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat until sugar has dissolved.
• Remove from heat and add remaining milk, cream, and vanilla extract.
• Chill thoroughly, preferably overnight, in refrigerator.
• Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• About 5 minutes before completion, add in the rhubarb puree and all but about a quarter of the crumble, allowing it to fully incorporate in the ice cream maker.
• Serve with additional crumble and a drizzle of rhubarb syrup on top!