Cheese was not a big part of my family’s pantry while growing up. Mainly because they were either expensive, or different varieties weren’t as popular as they are now. Moreover, eating specialty cheeses such as those laden with moldy green veins or those that smell like stinky socks yet leave a heavenly effect on your palate are definitely acquired tastes. As far as I know, plain pasteurized cow’s milk was the closest we had as kids. Even goat’s milk was a luxury or was given only to those alergic to cow’s milk.
The many times I had cheese as a kid was when it was used as garnish for pasta, or as filling for a sandwich. Didn’t even know gourmet cheeses like Gruyere Cheese existed. But then one day, my dad came home with a gallon of a special ice cream. I noticed that the regular vanilla ice cream he would bring was loaded with tiny square bits. He gave each of us siblings a bowl, and asked if we could guess what those yellow squares were.
As the spoon left my lips leaving its contents filled with the cold sweet savory cream, I sensed the familiar taste of my comfort snack. However, as it melted in my mouth, the tiny bits of morsels left behind by the melted cream gathered itself at the center of my tongue. As my teeth crushed into them, the sweetness of the cream was suddenly replaced by the salty, semi soft substances which I later found out were tiny cheese bits.
Ice Cream con Queso turned out to be one of my comfort food and I would have them with my favorite dessert or as an all time snack with my favorite wafer. The sweetness of the ice cream and the saltiness of the cheese creates a perfect balance especially after a light sumptuous meal. My childhood memories of this toothsome collation have given me inspiration to recreate my own version of a recipe as I reminisce those childhood days.
Sorbetes con Queso de Gruyere
- 2 ½ cups milk
- scant 1 cup sugar
- juice & grated zest of 1 small orange
- ¾ cup cream cheese
- ½ cup Gruyere cheese cut into bits
Place the milk, sugar, orange juice and zest in a pan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool. Stir this mixture into the cream cheese. Stir in the bits of gruyere cheese. Pour into an ice cream machine and freeze until firm, following manufacturer’s instructions.
If you don’t have an ice cream machine, pour the mixture into a shallow container and put in the freezer. After about 30 minutes, when the mixture is beginning to set, remove from the freezer and beat well with an electric mixer or whisk to disperse any ice crystals, then return it to the freezer, Repeat this 2 or 3 times and then freeze until firm.
This is very good with your favorite wafer or can also be topped with nuts or chopped up fruits. And don’t forget that cheese bought from the best cheese shop, the Ideal Cheese Shop, are the best ones for this recipe. So if this is my comfort snack, it could be yours too as well.
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Tags: gruyere cheese, sorbetes con queso