Blackberry Ice Cream

It’s hard to believe, but this is the first time I’ve used my ice-cream maker all summer! It was past time, and this very summery recipe was the perfect thing to mark the first-ice-cream-maker-usage-of-the-season occasion. This ice cream is not too sweet and it really highlights the flavor of the fresh blackberries. If you want to get really wild, you can add a few extra tablespoons of bourbon (just don’t add too many, or the ice cream won’t freeze very well).

In other past-due-summer-things news, I also took part in one of my first few grilling experiences of the season this past weekend. Andrew and I visited my parents in Pennsylvania for some fun family time and much-needed respite from the city. My parents often buy a quarter of a local, grass-fed cow at a time, and along with that sometimes come a few “interesting” parts of the cow. Last time we visited them we cooked the tongue, and this time we grilled the heart! It was pretty good—it tastes like a really lean cut of steak with an extra dose of iron. If you have any interest in doing this yourself, I found the recipe here to be very helpful. Whether or not you have interest, here is a picture of the finished product (along with a purslane and squash-blossom salad, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts for those of you who aren’t feeling as hearty about the heart {I know. Hilarious.}).

A person can’t go right into an ice cream recipe after that (probably), but that’s what I’m going to do, so here you go! Hope you enjoy it, with all your heart. ❤

Blackberry Ice Cream

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 egg yolks
• 12 oz fresh blackberries
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp bourbon or brandy (optional)
• 2 cups heavy cream

special equipment: ice cream maker

1. Make the custard: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and the vanilla. Heat over medium until hot but not boiling. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and gradually add a few tablespoons of the hot milk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan, whisking constantly to combine.
2. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring with a spoon, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Combine this mixture with the blackberries in a blender and puree. Pour through a mesh strainer into a medium bowl, and add the bourbon, cream, and lemon juice to the bowl, whisking to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
3. In your ice cream maker, freeze the custard according to manufacturer instructions. Pour the ice cream (it will be gloppy) into a container, cover, and freeze until firm, about 3 hours. Before serving, take the ice cream out of the freezer for about 20 minutes to soften.