Recipe

Blueberry Ice Cream

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Photo by Melanie.Einzig

Chef
merrill's Notes: My absolute favorite way to savor wild Maine blueberries is in a bowl, with a generous dousing of milk (not cream) and the lightest shower of sugar. Heaven. But even I, the blueberry purist...
My absolute favorite way to savor wild Maine blueberries is in a bowl, with a generous dousing of milk (not cream) and the lightest shower of sugar. Heaven. But even I, the blueberry purist, will admit that there are occasions that call for something a little more creative -- like a blueberry pie, blueberry jam (which I actually make every year), or, say, blueberry ice cream. Recently, I took Tammy's recipe for Foolproof Ice Cream and did just what she recommends: I threw in my own "add-in" in the form of fresh blueberries. I can't take credit for the original recipe, which is truly a winner, but I can tell you that if you manage to get your hands on some wild Maine blueberries, this is a great way to use them.

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Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

1 1/2 cups whole milk Ask a question about this ingredient

1 1/2 cups heavy cream Ask a question about this ingredient

3/4 cups sugar Ask a question about this ingredient

4 large egg yolks Ask a question about this ingredient

1 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Ask a question about this ingredient

1 pint blueberries, washed and picked over Ask a question about this ingredient

Heat the milk and cream in a small saucepan with 1/2 cup of the sugar, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 175 degrees. (Use a candy thermometer -- it's worth being exact here.)
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Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until pale yellow and thick. Slowly pour a small amount of the heated milk-cream-sugar mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Whisk the thinned egg yolks back into the saucepan. Scrape the insides of the vanilla bean into the saucepan, or add the extract.
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Heat the custard to 180 degrees, stirring constantly (do NOT allow it to boil!). Pour the cooked custard through a fine mesh strainer into a covered container. Chill the custard completely in the fridge and then put it and the the blueberries in a blender. Puree until the berries are broken down and the mixture is violet in color, but a few small shreds of blueberry are still visible. Chill again and then churn according to the instructions for your ice cream maker. Put the ice cream in the freezer in an air-tight container for a couple of hours to harden completely. About 15 minutes, before serving, transfer the ice cream from the freezer to the fridge to soften a little.
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1 Comment on Blueberry Ice Cream

Fran McGinty added 10 months ago

HOLY COW This was wonderful. I am embarrassed to say I don't have an Ice cream machine so I used 2 tupperware containers one smaller than the other loaded it with salt and crushed Ice and just moved it around until it got cold and thick and stuck the container in the freezer. I mixed it up occasionally and I am sure If I had the proper Ice cream maker it would have been better. BUT it was great. Thanks for that one.