Blueberry Ice Cream with Fresh Berries

Though I have had several rewarding experiences making my own ice cream from scratch in my small SEB machine, I had yet to try making blueberry ice cream at home. After browsing through a myriad of recipes online, this unusual combination of brown sugar and fresh blueberries, from Dinner with Julie, caught my eye. The basic technique remains that of making a custard based mixture into which the macerated berries are folded before going through the chilling process. Make sure you select berries that are ripe and firm; a good option would be to use frozen berries that get harvested when they are at the season’s peak. You may want to give a gentle swirl as you combine ice cream and berries together to create a marbled effect or you may be unable to resist turning the whole thing into a uniform shade ranging from delicate lilac to deep purple. Both ways, you are going to enjoy some seriously good stuff, best served scooped into wafer cones, with a dash of blueberry sauce left at the bottom of your saucepan.

BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

1 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup full cream milk

3 large egg yolks

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

Pinch of kitchen salt

1-2 tablespoons bourbon

1-2 cups fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons sugar

Squeeze of lemon juice

Method:

• In a saucepan, heat cream and milk until steaming. In a bowl, whisk together yolks, sugar and salt.

• Pour some of the hot cream into egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to pan.

• Whisk constantly until it bubbles and thickens. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the bourbon.

• Scrape into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Heat blueberries, sugar and lemon juice.

• Cook berries in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until the berries soften and burst.

• When fruit is soft and jam-like, remove from the heat, scrape into a bowl and refrigerate until chilled.

• Freeze the custard in an ice cream machine. When ice cream is frozen but still soft, fold in the berries.

• Transfer the ice cream into a loaf pan and freeze until firm. Makes about 3 cups blueberry ice cream.

Blueberry Ice Cream

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Gourmet declares this as “one of the best ice creams ever” and I cannot agree more. The most blissful thing about this homemade dulce de leche ice cream is that the delicate caramel essence is not obscured by excessive sweetness. Not wastage of egg whites, no careful monitoring to get the correct custard consistency and no long hours of churning in the ice cream maker to do away with large ice crystals, this recipe is a keeper for stifling summer days.

DULCE DE LECHE ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 2/3 cups dulce de leche

1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Method:

• Bring milk and cream just to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then remove from heat.

• Whisk in dulce de leche until it is completely dissolved. Whisk in vanilla extract and transfer to a metal bowl.

• Quick-chill by putting bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water. Stir occasionally until cold, 15 to 20 minutes.

• Freeze mixture in ice cream maker until almost firm. Fold in pecans and transfer to an airtight container.

• Put in freezer to harden, at least 1 hour. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts. Dulce de leche ice cream keeps for 1 week.

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

InspiredtoBake turns 1

I’ve been blogging for the past 365 days now. Looking back at my debut posts, I feel like I have come quite a long way with some 75 posts and hundreds of food photos. I wish to thank the food blogging community for inspiring me with their lovely creations and witty writing.

I would also like to thank my readers for their love, support and feedback. And to celebrate, I’m hosting my first giveaway. The winner, chosen at random, will receive a gift hamper filled with goodies… 

1. Lindt Chocolate Bars
2. Vahiné Sugar Sprinkles
3. Assorted Cookie Cutters
4. Bourbon Premium Vanilla Beans
5. Spring-release Ice Cream Scoop
6. Vahiné Cerneaux de Noix de Pécan
7. Illovo’s Golden Syrup
8. Kanasuk’s Light Muscovado Sugar
9. Assortment of Cupcake Liners
10. Des Desserts au Chocolat Cookbook

To Enter:

1. Leave a comment at the end of this post.

2. Blog about this giveaway on your own blog space.

3. Post it on your Facebook wall, Twitter, Hi5 or any of your social networks.

4. Become a Fan of InspiredtoBake on Facebook Pages.

5. Each of the above entitles you to an entry to the giveaway. Multiple entries are obviously gonna increase your chances of winning 🙂

Terms and Conditions:

1. This giveaway is open to Mauritian residents only.

2. You must provide your name, postal address, email address and contact number so that I know where to send the gift hamper. 

3. You have until Monday, 28th Feb 11:59 pm EST to submit your entries.

CHARLOTTE AUX PECHES

  

Ingredients:

100g all purpose flour

2 tbs corn flour

100g caster sugar

4 egg yolks

2 egg whites

1 tin canned peaches

1 cup ice cream

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C. Line baking tray with paper.
• Beat the yolks with sugar until light and fluffy and sugar has dissolved. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

 

• Sift flour over egg yolk mixture and very gently fold to amalgamate. You need to keep the mixture as light as possible and incorporate as much air as possible.

 

• Add egg whites in 2 batches. Fold until just combined.
• Put mixture into piping bag fitted with plain tip.
• Pipe lines onto baking paper. Dust them with icing sugar.

 

• Bake for about 8 minutes or until light golden in colour.
• Let them cool on the tray before removing.
• Store in an airtight container. Makes about 25 pieces.

 

• To assemble the charlotte, line a 8″ baking pan with aluminium foil so that it hangs by about 1″ above the rim.
• Drain canned peaches well and reserve 2 tbs syrup from can.

 

• Dilute syrup with 1/4 cup water and use this for soaking the savoiardi. Dip biscuits for only about a second to prevent them from getting soggy.

 

• Trim savoiardi biscuits at one end and use them to line the sides of the prepared pan. Arrange the trimmings so that they fit to cover the base.

 

• Cut half of the peaches into large cubes or slices. Soften ice cream and spread a thin layer over biscuit base. Arrange another layer of savoiardi.
• Top with fruit and spread remaining ice cream over. Leave to set until firm.

 

• Slice the remaining peaches thinly with a sharp knife.
• Arrange them in a beautiful pattern over the cream and return to the fridge for at least 12 hours or overnight.

 

• For individual servings, layer savoiardi and cream in dessert cups and top with fresh mint. The recipe for savoiardi is from CooksAlmostAnything.

Good Luck!