Blackberry ice cream

Admit it, that looks so good you want to eat your screen

Ah summer, there's nothing better in the middle of those long hot months than a nice cold bowl of ice cream. Unfortunately, the options available at the local supermarket are often pretty poor. You either get your low end "frozen dairy product" (yes, those $2 per 1/2 gallon tubs aren't actually ice cream according to the feds) or you pay $5 for a small pint of Häagen Dazs. No, you want both the volume and the tastiness, for a rock bottom price, and thats where I come in.

This recipe works off a rather ordinary custard base that I amend as needed to get the final effect. It's pretty utilitarian, so I highly suggest that you get yourself and ice cream maker and not only make this recipe, but also experiment with your own creations. This time I had a couple of packages of blackberries that were on super sale, and trust me, this recipe is good. What makes it spectacular though, is when its melty and you drink down the last bit, ice cream of the gods I tell you. I'm thinking of making a mega-batch solely for making milkshakes.

Blackberry ice cream
9 egg yolks
9 oz. sugar
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups 1/2 & 1/2
18 oz. blackberries

1. Heat the heavy cream and 1/2 & 1/2 in a pot over medium-low heat till it begins to bubble slightly.
2. While the dairy is heating, thoroughly whisk the egg yolks and sugar till light in color and you get a steady stream coming off your whisk. Whisking constantly, add ~1/3 of the hot dairy 1 ladle at a time to the yolk and sugar. When the egg yolk mixture is tempered, stream in the rest of the dairy, still whisking and then return to the pot over medium heat.
3. Stir the mixture continuously until it reaches a temperature of ~175 F. At this point the custard should be thick and not very foamy. Transfer to a container and chill in the fridge overnight.
4. The next day, put the blackberries and half of the custard in a blender and puree for about 30 seconds. Pour the whole mix into your ice cream maker and process according to the instructions. Pack into containers and harden in your freezer if you can resist eating it all right then.

So, as you can see, its a pretty simple recipe. The base is everything but the blackberries and as I said above, extremely easy to modify to get what you want. It also will keep a good week or more if made in advance and you get it to the proper temperature and keep it in the fridge. Thats a good thing, because I'll buy a 36 ct pallet of eggs and make up a ton of custard base, modifying it in batches to produce a variety of flavors. So, I've given you your canvas, and some purple, now feel free to run with it!

Cheers,
Mike :)