Spanish Saffron Olive Oil Ice Cream served with My Favorite Rustic Apricot Pie

Olive oil ice cream is our assigned recipe this week for French Fridays with Dorie, an online cooking group that I participate in but haven't been keeping up with lately.  I've been wanting to make olive oil ice cream and like most all of the recipes from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan, I figured this ice cream recipe to be another keeper.  I just couldn't resist giving my olive oil ice cream a little tweak in the form of a few added pinches of Spanish saffron from a good friend who brought some home for me from Spain.  Oh, and I'm glad I did the tweaking because the aroma, flavor and mellow yellow color from the saffron made my ice cream into a scoop to be reckoned with on the top of a slice of apricot pie.  You don't have to get all fancy with your pie making skills, just try my easy rustic apricot pie recipe that I'm sharing below.  Feel free to buy the pastry dough to make this a really simple dessert to put together in a pinch because who wants to spend too much time in the kitchen when the weather this time of year is so pleasant outside.

Ingredients and Directions for Spanish Saffron Olive Oil Ice Cream served with My Favorite Rustic Apricot Pie

For The Rustic Apricot Pie

Chilled pastry for a 9" pie, purchased or homemade

2 pounds apricots, cut in thick slices, about 8 cups

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking spice, I used Penzeys Baking Spice (cinnamon, ground Spanish anise seed, allspice, mace, cardamom)

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut in small bits

1 tablespoon heavy cream, for brushing on the crust

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Have the dough chilled, ready to roll or defrosted if purchased and ready to place in 9" pie plate.

Gently toss the apricot slices in a large bowl with the sugar, flour, and baking spice.

Roll the homemade dough into a circle slightly larger than a 9" pie plate.  Place the rolled out dough inside a 9" pie plate and let it drape over the outside.  Mound up the apricot mixture inside the pie plate and fold the dough back over the sides of the fruit.  Place the butter bits over the top and brush the dough edge with the heavy cream.  Place on a baking sheet, in case the juices boil over.  Bake for 10 minutes and reduce the oven to 375 degrees F for about 45 additional minutes.  Cool on a metal rack before serving.  

For The Spanish Saffron Olive Oil Ice Cream
Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 pinches of Spanish saffron
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Prepare a ice water bath using a large bowl with a strainer set on top of a heatproof bowl placed in the ice water ready for the hot custard.  Using a heavy weight medium saucepan bring the milk and cream to a boil.  Next to the stove in a large bowl beat the egg yolks with the sugar for a few minutes, until the mixture is slightly thicker.  Continue to whisk the egg mixture while slowly pouring in about a ladleful of the hot milk mixture to temper the eggs.  Slowly pour the remaining hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking the whole time.  Pour the custard mixture into the saucepan, adding the salt and saffron.  Cook the custard over a medium heat, switching to a spatula to stir.  Cook and stir until the custard coats the back of a spoon.  You should be able to trace a line that the custard doesn't run through.  The custard should be more than 170 degrees F but not more than 180 degrees F.  Remove the custard from the heat and pour through the strainer into the heatproof bowl in the water bath.  Stir in the olive oil and the vanilla.  Stir the custard occasionally as it cools down.  When the custard is cool place in the refrigerator to continue chilling for several hours or overnight.  Pour the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn following the manufacturer's instructions.  Scrape the ice cream into an airtight container and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours or until it's firm enough to scoop.