Cherries! They’re here! They’re one of my favorite fruits. But their peak growing season is so short, so let’s make the most of the them while they’re here, okay? And maybe we can start with this cherry ice cream. I tried not to cook the cherries too long because I wanted to retain their freshness while still imparting their beautiful color into a syrup that would tint the final ice cream a lovely pink. I think it worked, but you should make it and tell me what you think!
The brown sugar and bourbon swirl is entirely optional, but it adds a really nice caramel note to the cherry ice cream. And it’s bourbon, so yeah. Bourbon. You could also use rum. Or Honey Jack. Or make the swirl without bourbon.
p.s. I promise, there’s a swirl in there, you just can’t really see it. I let the ice cream machine run too long and the brown sugar mixture was too hot, so it just kind of got incorporated into the ice cream itself. But it’s DELICIOUS nonetheless, and you will make yours correctly and end up with a lovely swirl in your ice cream.
- 1 1/2 cups of pitted and quartered fresh cherries
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon (can also use rum)
- 1.5 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1.5 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1 4/ cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 cup cherry mixture (instructions in the recipe)
- 1/2 cup bourbon and brown sugar sauce
- Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 3 minutes, until the cherries begin to soften.
- Use an immersion blender or a blender to pulse the mixture a few times. You still want small chunks of cherries, so don't puree it completely (I was a little overzealous, I wanted bigger pieces than I ended up with).
- Make a slurry by whisking the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of milk in a small bowl.
- Whisk the cream cheese and salt together in a medium bowl until smooth. Add 1 cup of the cherry mixture and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla.
- Combine the rest of the milk, the cream, sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 4 minutes at a rolling boil.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Place back on the heat and bring back to a boil. Cook until thickened, about 2 minutes, stirring often with a spatula. Remove from the heat.
- Whisk the milk mixture into the cherry/cream cheese mixture 1 cup at a time.
- Refrigerate, covered, until the mixture is cold, 3-4 hours.
- Whisk the brown sugar and cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Whisk frequently to avoid burning.
- Whisk in the butter and continue to cook until the mixture returns to a boil.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the bourbon. Let it cool for about 1 hour then refrigerate it before adding to the ice cream. Give it a good stir before drizzling it into the base, too.
- Freeze the ice cream mixture according to your ice cream machine's instructions, drizzling in the bourbon and brown sugar sauce during the last 30 seconds of churning.
- Pour into a storage container and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
