The other morning I was on my way to work, when I passed a sign for Rainbow Farms. At the very bottom of the sign it said “Blackberries”! I made it a point to stop later that day in order to buy some- ideas bouncing through my head as to what delicious treats I was going to make with them!
I was talking to Larry (the owner) about how long the season was and he told me they were looking at about 4 weeks. That made me happy! I knew I could make a couple of things with what I bought that day, and still have time to go back and buy some more!
One of the things I wanted to make, after I made myself stop eating them (seriously, they are so good!), was ice cream. Given how warm it has been this summer, and the fact that I am doing ice cream recipes every week, this should come as no surprise!
I made a cheesecake ice cream, by adding cream cheese to a vanilla ice cream base. Then, I thickened up the blackberries with a little cornstarch and after a quick mash, they were ready to be added once the ice cream was churned! Nice fresh, fruity, summer-time ice cream!
Blackberry Swirl Cheesecake Ice Cream
2 cups half and half
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
6 egg yolks
1- 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 pint blackberries
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 teaspoons water
To make the ice cream base:
In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk together the heavy cream and half and half. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring continuously.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, and cream cheese, until the mixture is a well combined and smooth.
Once the cream mixture comes to a simmer, pour 1/3 of it into the egg yolk mixture and whisk quickly to combine. Repeat this step 2 more times, until all the cream has been incorporated into the egg yolk mixture. Pour this combined mixture back into the saucepan. Over medium-low heat, stirring slowly and continuously, let the mixture come up to 175 degrees (using a candy thermometer). Once the ice cream base has come up to temperature, remove from the heat and strain through a sieve into a heat-safe bowl. Let cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
To make the blackberry swirl:
In a small saucepan, combine the blackberries with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the juices have started to boil, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Pour into the saucepan and stir. Let the mixture return to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. During this time, using a potato masher, mash the berries to the consistency you like (another option: once the berry mixture is cool, you could pulse it in a food processor). Remove from the heat, let cool, then refrigerate till needed.
After 4 hours, process the ice cream according to your ice cream machine manufacturers instructions. Once the ice cream is ready, scoop (or pour- the ice cream should be a thick milkshake consistency) into a freezer-safe container, layering it with the blackberry mixture. Cover and freeze for 4 hours. Serve and enjoy!
Made with love, not calories!
