Low Carb Pizza Ice Cream

I read about this flavor online and was excited to make a low carb version. It’s described by Coolhaus as, “mascarpone base infused with sundried tomato, olive oil, basil and a pinch of salt.” I’ve got enough experience making ice cream to have a really good idea in my head how to do it...adding my own twist, of course.

I did a mascarpone base when I made my low carb cannoli ice cream a while back. I’ll use that as a starting point. Infusing flavors is a common technique to impart an essence of a solid without actually including it in the finished product. It involves heating the item in the mix, letting it “brew” for a while, and then strain it out. I’ll do that with the pizza flavoring so that there aren’t any hard particles left in the ice cream. I thought about infusing the sundried tomatoes, but instead, I’ll cut them up really small and add them as a mix in. Olive oil can be added right before churning.

Pizza flavoring is usually a bunch of spices, but does not include tomato. I found Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic that should help impart an additional tomato kick to the base. I’m doubling the glycerin and eliminating the stabilizers since the mascarpone will make this ice cream crumbly and very difficult to scoop. The mix will also set quicker in the ice cream maker due to its higher viscosity.

My final ingredient will be Just The Cheese Pizza Chips. These will add another layer of savory pizza flavor to the sweet ice cream base.

Ingredients

1 cup (242 g) unsweetened almond milk or equivalent
1½ tablespoons Truvia
½ teaspoon Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic seasoning
4 large egg yolks
Big pinch of salt
21 drops EZ-Sweetz
2 tablespoons (38 g) vegetable glycerin
16 oz (454 g) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
¼ cup (55 g) olive oil (a fruity blend like Cabeço das Nogueiras or Arbequina)
2-3 sundried tomatoes, sliced small
½ bag (28 g) Just The Cheese Chips, Pizza

Directions

1. Slice the sundried tomatoes into tiny bits with a very sharp knife.
   
   
   
   
   Put uncovered in the refrigerator for later.
2. Add the egg yolks to the 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup and let stand. You will need an ice bath for the custard, so prepare a bowl large enough to accommodate ice and the measuring cup.
3. In a small pot, add unsweetened almond milk, Truvia, salt, and Mrs. Dash seasoning. Heat on stove top at medium heat until it reaches approximately 170 °F while stirring periodically.
4. Slowly pour the warm mixture from the pot into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Scrape the warmed mixture back into the pot and return it to the stove top. Put a strainer on top of the 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup.
5. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. The temperature should not exceed 175 °F. This may take a while to thicken sufficiently. Pour the custard through the strainer into the measuring cup.
   
   
   
   
   Whisk in the EZ-Sweetz and glycerin.
6. Cover with plastic wrap, put the measuring cup in an ice bath, and chill in a refrigerator until cooled completely.
7. Once cool, whisk in the mascarpone with a hand mixer starting on low and increasing to high.
8. Follow your ice cream maker’s directions for making ice cream. Add the olive oil as soon as the churning begins. Sprinkle in the sundried tomato bits approximately ten minutes before it’s done. Remove from the ice cream using a silicone spatula and add some to the container. Add a layer of pizza flavored cheese chips. Repeat until done. Freeze until solid.