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Paris on Ice, Masticha Yoghurt Dessert

Paris on Ice, Masticha Yoghurt Dessert

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Paris on Ice, is an old fashioned Cypriot Dessert, similar to pannacotta but made with evaporated milk,, almonds and gelatin.

I based this dessert, on a pudding my mother used to make back in Cyprus around the ’70s.

Unveiling the Stars: Masticha and Yoghurt

At the heart of “Paris on Ice”, lies masticha, a resin harvested from the mastic tree native to the Mediterranean.

Known for its unique flavour and aromatic qualities, masticha adds a distinct touch to this dessert, infusing it with a subtle piney, earthy sweetness.

Combined with the tangy creaminess of yoghurt, the result is a symphony of tastes that dance on your palate.

For those of you who are not familiar with the mastic resin, it is an evergreen shrub or small tree of the Pistacio family growing up to 4 m (13 ft) tall, which is cultivated for its aromatic resin on the Greek island of Chios.

The word mastic derives from the Greek verb mastichein (“to gnash the teeth”, origin of the English word masticate) or massein (“to chew”).  You may read more about masticha here.

For reasons that are not entirely understood, only the trees in the southern part of the island of Chios produce the distinctively flavoured resin. The island’s mastic production is controlled by a co-operative of villages, collectively known as the ‘Mastichochoria’, which are also located in the southern part of Chios.

Mastic resins image

Within the European Union, Mastic spice production in Chios is granted protected designation of origin (PDO) and a protected geographical indication (PGI) name.

(Source:   Wikipedia).

Memories of Paris on Ice

The only thing I remembered about the recipe was that it was made with evaporated milk, gelatine and almonds and it was flavoured with masticha.  

The name is a bit strange and have no idea why it was named Paris on Ice.   I presume the word ice was used because it is refrigerated and because the cream is white.

I tried to find the recipe online but unfortunately I had no luck in a google search.

I decided to recreate it on what I remembered and half way through, although this cream brought back nice memories when my mum used to make it, I decided to make a twist of my own.  

When the cream set she used to make a strawberry or cherry jelly and put it on top until the jelly would set as well.

We used to love this dessert when we were kids so I recreated my own recipe and giving it my own twist and I must admit it did remind me of that dessert but the addition of whipped cream, mixed with yoghurt and whipping the cream twice, gave it the airy feeling of a mousse.

Note:  This dessert is characterized by the flavour of evaporated milk, so it is preferable that you do not substitute with other milk.

Paris on ice image

Ingredients need to make Paris on Ice:

  • Water
  • Gelatin sheets
  • Evaporated milk
  • Blanched almonds
  • Mastic gum tears
  • Sugar
  • Heavy cream
  • Icing sugar
  • Vanilla essence
  • Greek yoghurt

How to make Paris on Ice:

  1. Dissolve gelatine sheets with cold water until soft.
  2. In a pot add the water, evaporated milk and bring to boil.  Add the gelatine, mixing until it dissolves.
  3. Remove from the heat and set aside until it cools.    Refrigerate until it sets.
  4. Meantime blanch the almonds and cut in smaller pieces by hand or in the food processor.
  5. Pound the mastic resins with sugar and mix with the almonds.
  6. Prepare the whipping cream. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla essence and when peaks form, add the yoghurt, mx and refrigerate.
  7. Combine both creams and with the hand mixer whisk until fluffy and creamy and mix in the almonds and whisk until combined.
  8. Refrigerate for a couple of hours again until it sets.

Serve with your favourite spoon sweet or coulis on top.

Paris on ice with raspberry coulis image

Paris on Ice, Masticha Yoghurt Dessert

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

This Cypriot dessert is a celebration of flavours, blending the ancient allure of masticha with the creamy richness of the pudding.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of water
  • 10 gelatin sheets
  • 410 grams (1 can) evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup blanched almonds, finely chopped
  • 8 - 10 mastic gum tears pounded with ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 250 ml heavy cream (35%)
  • 2 tbsp icing sugar
  • A few drops of Vanilla essence
  • 250 grams strained Greek yoghurt

Instructions

  1. Dissolve gelatine sheets with cold water until soft.
  2. In a pot add the water, evaporated milk and bring to boil.
  3. Add the gelatine, mixing until it dissolves.
  4. Remove from the heat and set aside until it cools.
  5. Refrigerate until it sets.
  6. Meantime blanch the almonds and cut them into smaller pieces by hand or in the food processor.
  7. Pound the mastic resins with sugar and mix with the almonds.

Prepare the whipping cream:

  1. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla essence and when peaks form, add the yoghurt, mx and refrigerate.
  2. Combine both creams and with the hand mixer whisk until fluffy and creamy.
  3. Mix in the almonds and whisk until combined.
  4. Refrigerate for a couple of hours again until it sets.
  5. Serve with your favourite spoon sweet or coulis on top!
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 398Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 52mgSodium 148mgCarbohydrates 41gFiber 1gSugar 39gProtein 15g

"These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."

Did you make this recipe?

Tried this recipe? Tag me @ivyliac and use the hashtag #kopiaste!

You may also serve it with:

Strawberry Coulis
Kiwi sauce
Caramelized apricots
Sour Cherries spoon sweet
Cherries spoon sweet

Collage Paris on ice with sauce image

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,

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paresh sardar

Thursday 14th of October 2010

wow..it's creamy & delicious...my mouth's watering see your recipe..i am going to try at home..hope i can make it as tasty as u make it:-)

masticbest

Wednesday 9th of June 2010

for Mastiha products see the blog - http://masticbest.wordpress.com we have the best Mastiha mastic at best prices we ship worldwide. or sen an e mail throu our blog. steve stamatis

Bellini Valli

Tuesday 24th of June 2008

We tried mastic icecream and "submarines" when we were on Kea sis. It is a flavour like no other:D

pixen

Tuesday 24th of June 2008

ahhhh... Mastiha! I need to buy extra of that in my next trip... I also love salepi :-D

Thank you for reminding me :-D Hugssss

Mike of Mike's Table

Monday 23rd of June 2008

This looks like a great change from the usual frozen yogurt and is definitely new to me. I've learned my new thing for the day.

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