In a medium saucepan, combine the sweet corn kernels and whole milk. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and cook for 8–10 minutes to infuse the milk with corn flavor.

Purée and strain

Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or transfer to a blender, purée the corn and milk until very smooth (about 1 minute). Strain the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible. Discard solids.

Add cream and aji amarillo

Stir the heavy cream, granulated sugar, corn syrup (or agave), salt, and aji amarillo paste into the strained corn-milk. Warm gently over low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot but not boiling, about 3–4 minutes. Taste and adjust aji amarillo for heat/color, adding up to 1 tsp more if desired.

Temper eggs

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Slowly ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot corn-cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper. Then slowly whisk the warmed yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining corn-cream, stirring constantly.

Cook custard

Cook the custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula and reaches about 175–180°F (80–82°C). Do not boil; remove from heat as soon as it thickens.

Finish and cool

Stir in the vanilla extract and lime zest. For a silkier texture, use an immersion blender to emulsify the custard briefly (10–15 seconds). Optional: add 1 tsp neutral oil and 1 tsp lime juice and stir to round flavors. Strain the custard again through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Chill the custard quickly by placing the bowl in an ice bath or refrigerate until fully cold, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Churn

Once the base is thoroughly chilled, churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency (usually 20–30 minutes). If your ice cream machine requires a very cold bowl, ensure it has been frozen per instructions.

Harden

Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface, seal, and freeze for at least 4 hours to firm up.

Huitlacoche Crumble

Prepare huitlacoche

If using dried huitlacoche, rehydrate in hot water for 15–20 minutes, drain and chop coarsely. If using canned, drain and roughly chop. Pat dry on paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Sauté and crisp

In a small skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tsp olive oil. Add the chopped huitlacoche and sauté for 3–4 minutes until aromatic and any excess moisture evaporates. Add the panko breadcrumbs, diced cold butter, and flour. Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter melts and the mixture turns golden and crisp, about 4–6 minutes. Sprinkle in smoked paprika and kosher salt and stir to combine.

Cool and add pepitas

Remove from heat and stir in the chopped toasted pepitas. Spread crumble on a plate to cool completely; it will crisp up further as it cools. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Assembly & Finishing

Scoop and plate

Spoon or scoop the hardened corn-aji amarillo ice cream into chilled bowls or cones.

Top with crumble and garnishes

Generously sprinkle the huitlacoche crumble over the ice cream. Finish with a few extra toasted or candied corn kernels for crunch and a small pinch of lime zest. If desired, drizzle a tiny amount of agave or honey for extra sweetness.

Serve

Serve immediately so the crumble remains crisp. Leftover assembled portions are best eaten right away; otherwise store ice cream and crumble separately for up to 3 days for the crumble and 1 week for ice cream.