Makgeolli (Korean Rice Wine) Ice Cream!
Makgeolli Ice Cream!!! If you love Mageolli, you will LOVE this Ice Cream!!!
AND…I am SO HAPPY that I get to share this with YOU!! 🍦🍦 😍 This makgeolli ice cream is light (somewhere between a sorbet and full creamy ice cream), mildly sweet with a hint of the makgeolli sour flavor that keeps it all interesting and fun as it magically melts in your mouth!!
For some time now, I have been wanting to make ice cream with some Korean flavors. Whenever summer comes around, I see so many incredible ice cream dessert recipes on other blogs and magazines and it always made me kinda jealous.. I mean they look so beautiful and cooling!!
So until now, I just had two Korean summer cold icy dessert called Bingsu (here’s one with watermelon) that I shared on my blog but now I get to finally share a fabulous makgeolli ice cream recipe!!! YAY!!!
I found this fabulous makgeolli ice cream recipe recently while looking for something else…OF COURSE… that’s just how LIFE is, right?? You NEVER find what you are looking for but ALWAYS end up finding something else you are NOT even looking or thinking to find.
RECIPE CREDIT – Unlike many of my past recipes, this recipe is not something I created or developed on my own. The changes I made to the recipe is very slight since it was really good the way it is. I did increase the amount of makgeolli a little bit and I did not add the nuts in the ice cream. I think it’s better to have it as a topping. So I have to give credit to my Korean dessert class instructor at the Korean Food Institute at Sook Myeong Woman’s University. Sadly, I can’t remember her name nor can I find her name anywhere on my class notes. Too many years ahve passed since I got this recipe. This was a class that was co-taught by two different part-time instructors so I don’t think they are in the faculty list either. If I find the name, I promise to update it here.
Makgeolli Ice Cream
4 servings Cooking Time:30 min Freezing Time: 6 hrs or more Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
- 230 ml makgeolli
- 100 g sugar
- 150 ml whole milk
- 200 ml heavy whipping cream (use whipping cream for lighter ice cream)
- 1 Tbs corn starch
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (Trader Joe’s)
- 2 Tbs lemon juice
- 1-2 Tbs chopped walnuts or macadamia nuts (optional)
- Make Makgeolli syrup by mixing 100 ml makgeolli + 100 g sugar in a small pot.
Makgeolli Sugar Syrup for Ice Cream Bring to boil and then simmer on low heat until reduced by one half.
Makgeolli Sugar Syrup Boiling *TIP – to measure if it has reduced by half, you can use a chopstick to dip into syrup and measure the level every few minutes.
- Mix corn starch and 50 ml milk. Set aside.
- In another small pot, add 130 ml of makgeolli. Bring to boil, simmer on low heat until reduced by one half. Transfer to a bowl and it cool. Should make about 65 ml.
- Once syrup and reduced makgeolli are cooled, in a pot, add 100 ml milk, makgeolli syrup (50 ml) from 1, reduced makgeolli from 3 (65ml).
Makgeolli IceCream ingredients Use a whisk to stir gently and mix everything together. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer.
- While simmering, stir cornstarch + milk mixture once again, then add the cornstarch + milk mixture to pot. Continue to whisk until things thicken. Turn off heat. When finished, consistency should be runny. If it seems to be too thick for some reason, add a little extra makgeolli and simmer another 30 seconds or so.
Makgeolli Ice Cream Mix - Add salt to 5, mix and let it cool.
Whipped Cream for Makgeolli IceCream - When the ice cream base has cooled, whip the heaving cream until you get a soft peak.
Pouring Makgeolli Ice Cream base into whipped Cream - Add ice cream base from 6 and lemon juice to whipped cream. Carefully mix everything together by folding everything until well mixed. Optionally add chopped nuts in this step.
- Transfer ice cream mix to a container (something that has straight edges on the side, not a curved bowl) that is at least 5 x 5 inches or wider. “Use shallow and/or smaller, sealed containers when freezing your ice cream, as this will reduce the freezing time.” is the advice by a post that talks about how to make ice cream without an ice cream machine.
- Cover and freeze.
- After 5-6 hours, check to see if it has started to harden on top and then use a fork to scrape the top and fluff things up. Repeat 2-3 times. This way, ice cream feels more like a sorbet than a heavy ice cream.
Makgeolli Ice Cream Scraping with fork - Serve with some chopped nuts and sweet toppings like chocolate syrup or reduce makgeolli syrup. I also tried some fresh mint leaves with it and it was a fabulous addition!
Makgeolli Ice Cream - No Ice Cream Machine Needed
Ingredients
- 230 ml makgeolli
- 100 g sugar
- 150 ml whole milk
- 200 ml heavy whipping cream (or whipping cream)
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt (Trader Joe's)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 Tbsp walnuts or macadamia nuts, chopped (use as topping or in ice cream)
Instructions
- Make Makgeolli syrup by mixing 100 ml makgeolli + 100 g sugar in a small pot.
- Bring to boil and then simmer on low heat until reduced by one half.
- Mix corn starch and 50 ml milk. Set aside.
- In another small pot, add 130 ml of makgeolli. Bring to boil, simmer on low heat until reduced by one half. Transfer to a bowl and it cool. Should make about 65 ml.
- Once syrup and reduced makgeolli are cooled, in a pot, add 100 ml milk, makgeolli syrup (50 ml) from 1, reduced makgeolli from 3 (65ml).
- Use a whisk to stir gently and mix everything together. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer.
- While simmering, stir cornstarch + milk mixture once again, then add the cornstarch + milk mixture to pot. Continue to whisk until things thicken. Turn off heat. When finished, consistency should be runny. If it seems to be too thick for some reason, add a little extra makgeolli and simmer another 30 seconds or so.
- Add salt to 5, mix and let it cool.
- When the ice cream base has cooled, whip the heaving cream until you get a soft peak.
- Add ice cream base and lemon juice to whipped cream. Carefully mix everything together by folding everything until well mixed. Optionally add chopped nuts in this step to make a nutty ice cream.
- Transfer ice cream mix to a container (something that has straight edges on the side, not a curved bowl) that is at least 5 x 5 inches or wider.
- Cover and freeze.
- After 5-6 hours, check to see if it has started to harden on top and then use a fork to scrape the top and fluff things up. Repeat 2-3 times. This way, ice cream feels more like a sorbet than a heavy ice cream.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
RECIPE NOTES about Cream
To make lighter Makgeolli Ice Cream (which I think tastes better), use a less fatty whipping cream. You can buy regular whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream or you can pour out the heavy whipping cream from your bottle or carton without shaking, leaving the accumulated fat on top.
FYI, regular whipping cream has between 30% ~ 36% fat and heavy cream contains between 36 and 40% fat. (According to FDA definitions ).
What is the best Makgeolli?
I can’t say I have tried all the makgeolli’s that are sold in store but from what my husband and I have tried, Kooksoondang brand is the best (among the ones sold in the US) for just drinking and for making ice cream. This Makgeolli is a live, fermenting rice wine so it does not keep long. It will start to lose it’s flavor and fizz after several days (even in the fridge).
I haven’t tried this yet, but do you have a recipe for how to make this with an ice cream machine? Thanks!
No, sorry, I don’t have a recipe for the ice cream machine at this point. I will look into that when I can. Thanks for asking.
No, sorry I don’t yet have a recipe for the ice cream machine.