Recipe: Blackberry Basil Ice Cream
This recipe tastes best using fresh, local ingredients! We use Hudson Valley Fresh cream, Yellow Bell Farm heirloom eggs, and blackberries from Wright's Orchard.
INGREDIENTS
1 pint fresh local blackberries, rinsed
½ cup sugar
½ cup whole milk
1 ½ cups Hudson Valley Fresh Heavy Cream
2 egg yolks
½ t lemon extract
¼ t course sea salt
3 sprigs fresh basil
EQUIPMENT
Blender or Food processor
Fine sieve
1 Quart glass measure
2 quart sauce pan
Small bowl
Whisk
Wooden spoon
Candy thermometer
Measuring cups and spoon
Ice cream maker
Stove top burner, refrigeration, freezer
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
1. Freeze the bowl of the ice cream maker overnight.
2. Remove any leaves or bramble from the blackberries, rinse gently. Drip dry.
3. Put blackberries in the blender. Blend on low setting for 1 minute or less.
4. Add ½ cup cream and all the milk to blender with blackberries. Pulse for just a few seconds, until homogenized.
5. Strain mixture through fine sieve into glass quart measure. Press with back of ladle to expedite. Discard pips and pulp remnants.
6. Crack eggs and separate yolks and whites.
7. Gently whisk yolks together in separate bowl.
8. On stove top over low flame pour blackberry mixture into sauce pan.
Stir with wooden spoon, gently warming the mixture. When it registers around 120 degrees Fahrenheit, add 2T into the yolks, gently whisking.
8b. Stir in sugar and stir constantly until completely dissolved in the stovetop mixture.
9. Add the yolk mixture back into the sauce pan and whisk all the while. The combined mixture must be constantly whisked. Raise it until it reaches 175 degrees.
11. Whisk in the remaining 1 cup heavy cream in a steady stream.
12. Add lemon extract and salt.
13. Add basil sprigs and fracture them with whisk to release essential oil.
14. Refrigerate the mix for 3 hours, up to 8.
15. Remove basil sprigs and discard.
15. Pour cold mixture into ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturers specifications, until desired texture is achieved.
16. Place finished ice cream in containers to freeze or serve immediately.
Enjoy with peach-pistachio cobbler or Saratoga cracked black pepper crackers!