cherry

Long time no post?

Yes, we have been on holiday.

When we booked our trip to Cornwall earlier in the year, we had no idea that we would be blessed with such a glorious, sun drenched week. Who needs the Med when the weather is like this in Blighty? So refreshing not to need our fleeces, long trousers and waterproof jackets. It truly was idyllic; beautiful countryside and coastline, sandy beaches, fishing villages, ferry trips, rock pools and of course, fabulous food. Inspiration indeed for future posts.

Back to the Cherry Ice Cream…

At last, after three attempts for a successful ice cream post, I am happy to share this with you.

I did not use my KitchenAid Ice cream ‘bowl’ on this occasion. I need more experimentation with it. I adopted the traditional method. To be honest, it wasn’t too onerous. I just made sure that I mixed the eggs and sugar very thoroughly so the mixture was quite creamy before in went into the freezer. I then only whipped it the once, one hour into the freezing process. The ingredients ensure that it is inherently a ‘creamy’ ice cream.

Don’t be put off by the ingredients either. Yes, cherries are not the cheapest fruit available, 10 egg yolks sounds excessive and the cream… but the quantity made here is nearly double the size of any gourmet ice cream tub purchased at the supermarket. I believe that the cost is, more or less, comparable. Add to that, you know exactly what is in the ice cream and the fact that it is ‘homemade’, it WILL taste totally delicious. End of.

Cherry Ice Cream

Ingredients

500g fresh cherries
175g caster sugar, plus a further 3 tablespoons
3 tablespoons lemon juice
500ml whole milk
250ml double cream
250ml single cream
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
10 egg yolks

Instructions

Place the rinsed cherries in a frying pan and add 3 tablespoons of caster sugar and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Over a moderate heat, allow the sugar to dissolve and simmer until the fruit is softened and the juices become 'syrupy'.
Remove the cherries from the heat and allow to cool. Pit the cherries and discard the pips. Place the cherries in a blender. Blend. Allow to cool completely and set aside.
Mix the milk, single and double creams into a saucepan and whisk in the vanilla paste. Heat until nearly boiling.
With a hand held whisk (ideally an electric one), thoroughly whisk the egg yolks together in a bowl. Add the remaining 175g of caster sugar to the yolks and continue to whisk until a very pale yellow colour.
Pour the heated milk and cream into the egg and sugar mixture whilst continually mixing the eggs with the electric whisk.
Transfer the whole mixture back to the saucepan. Over a low heat, allow the custard to thicken, mixing as required. This should take about 10 minutes. Pour into a clean bowl and allow to cool completely.
Fold the cherries into the cooled custard until evenly distributed. Transfer the mixture to a large plastic container with a lid (at least 2 litres).
Place in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and with the electric whisk mix the creamy mixture. Return to the container and freeze further. Repeat after a further hour, if desired or, if you have the time.
Continue to freeze until the ice cream has hardened, up to 6 hours.
Allow the ice cream to ripen in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before serving.

http://thecontentedbaker.com/cherry-ice-cream/

Source: Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s ‘Forever Summer’