This Québec heritage dessert is a rich, orange-blossom-scented frozen custard. Parks Canada presents it as a recipe from the Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux collection, adapted from an eighteenth-century French cookbook tradition. Despite the name, the tested formula contains no cheese; it is closer to a simple, dense ice cream served in individual moulds.
Cream and milk form the base, while one egg yolk gives the custard a little body. Orange-blossom water provides the distinctive floral note. This home method gently cooks the tempered yolk to a safe temperature, then chills the custard before freezing it in six small servings.
Step 1Set six 150 ml ramekins on a tray that fits in the freezer. Prepare a large ice bath. Keep the dairy and egg refrigerated until use.
Step 2Whisk the egg yolk and sugar in a heatproof bowl until smooth and slightly lighter. Warm the cream and milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not boiling.
Step 3Slowly whisk a small ladle of warm dairy into the yolk mixture. Gradually whisk in the rest, then return the mixture to the saucepan.
Step 4Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the corners, until the custard reaches 74°C and lightly coats a spoon. Do not boil. Remove from heat, stir in the orange-blossom water and strain through a fine sieve.
Step 5Set the bowl in the ice bath and stir until cool. Cover and refrigerate until the custard is at or below 4°C. Divide among the ramekins, cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.
Step 6To unmould, dip one ramekin briefly in warm water, run a thin knife around its edge and invert onto a chilled plate. Serve at once; keep the remaining portions frozen.
The custard thickens slightly as it cools. If it is not cold after the ice bath, refrigerate it before filling the ramekins. For a softer serving texture, let a portion stand briefly in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Keep the moulds covered to protect them from freezer odours.
Rounded ingredient-based estimate for one sixth of the batch. Sugar is approximated at 150 g from the source volume; dairy composition varies by brand.
Contains milk and egg. Check the orange-blossom water label for product-specific cross-contact. Keep dairy and eggs refrigerated; do not taste the uncooked mixture. Temper the yolk into warm dairy and cook while stirring until the custard reaches 74°C, verified with a clean thermometer. Cool promptly in an ice bath, refrigerate at or below 4°C within 2 hours and freeze once cold. Keep portions frozen until serving; do not refreeze a portion that has melted.
