Cherry Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips

By cnash

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pitted ripe sweet cherries (from about 3/4 lb cherries)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 3/4 cups cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp Amaretto, cherry liqueur, or rum (optional)
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine, keep in freezer until used

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from simplyrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

You can also try making this ice cream with yogurt instead of cream. Heat the cherries, sugar, salt, and milk first. Then let cool. Add 1 3/4 cup of full-fat yogurt and purée. Everything else is the same except no need to add lemon juice.

Put cherries, milk, one cup of the cream, sugar, and salt into a medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat until the mixture is steamy, then lower the heat to warm and just let sit for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour mixture into a blender, or use an immersion blender, and carefully purée. (Careful because you are dealing with a hot liquid. Make sure you hold the cap down on the top of the blender while puréeing.)

Put mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup of cream. Chill for several hours in the refrigerator until completely cold. (Can also place bowl over an ice bath, to speed up the cooling process.)

Before putting the mixture into your ice cream maker, stir in the lemon juice and the Amaretto or other liqueur if you are using. Note that you can skip the alcohol if you want, but the addition of it will help the ice cream from getting too icy, and the amaretto can add a nice flavor boost to the ice cream. Churn the ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Once the ice cream has completed churning, the ice cream should be pretty soft. Gently fold in the finely chopped chocolate. Put in an airtight container and place in the freezer for at least an hour, preferably several hours.

Makes about one quart.

Now there’s a coincidence–I just made a batch of cherry frozen yogurt with chocolate chunks (like stracciatella) last night! Although I’m definitely jealous that you have backyard kind of access to cherries–seems a lot more fun than driving to the grocery store. I really like the color you got on your ice cream though–mine took on more of a Pepto Bismol look, which isn’t quite as exciting a dessert color, lol (hopefully I’m the only one eating it who makes the Pepto observation). ;-)

Well, now I have to buy an ice cream maker. I’ve been reading amazing ice cream recipes for the last several weeks, but this one is putting me over the edge. Do you have a model you recommend?

Cuisinart 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Maker

Wow! I will surely try this recipe. To make me happy, it is Egg free! Yay!

I will replace the liquer with arrowroot powder as they say the latter prevents ice crystals forming in Ice creams too.

Hi Elise! How about Bing cherries preserved in port to use as a warm topping for ice cream. 2 cups port, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest in shreds, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon fresh, coarse ground black pepper, 1 pound Bing cherries– You don’t have to pit them!!! Combine the port, sugar, zest, lemon juice and pepper in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cook unitl reduced by half. Reduce heat to low and stir in the cherries. Cook and stir for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to place the cherries in two 1-pint canning jars already sterilized. Then bring the syrup to a boil and pour over the cherries nearly to the jar rims. Cool and refrigerate for several weeks–if they last that long!

My grandparents have a cherry orchard and every year of my life I’ve worked picking cherries in the summer and I absolutely love them, I can’t wait until they come into season and I can make this ice cream!

Elise, this looks incredibly good! I don’t own an ice-cream maker, but this recipe makes me want to buy one asap! Any suggestions on what to look for? Thanks :).

Elise, thanks for the recommendation! I bought that ice cream maker from Amazon and made this cherry ice cream. Delicious! I’m going to try a custard base (vanilla, I think) this afternoon :)

I just kept the blender going until everything was well puréed. ~Elise

Just made this ice cream:) I love it so. This is my favorite ice cream and to make it at home tops it off. Thanks for the wonderful recipe, making another batch tomorrow

Hi,just made the mix for this ice cream. I’m About to pour it into ice cream maker..Is it really 2 tablespoons of amaretto or cherry liquor or 2 teaspoons? I made a double batch and am afraid to add 4 tablespoons.thanks.