I can’t believe it’s August already and we’ve only now gotten to try our first ice cream recipe attempt. I didn’t have high hopes for our homemade blueberry ice cream (there is something magic about true small-town ice cream parlors) BUT I was truly impressed with how delicious this recipe turned out. The ice cream itself is rich and creamy with no weird ice crystals, the fresh blueberries and lemon juice really make it taste like summer, and it isn’t overbearingly sweet. In other words- it’s perfect and definitely a recipe worth trying as soon as you can.
My Mom and Dad picked up a brand new ice cream maker from Williams Sonoma for us to try while we were visiting last weekend and it couldn’t have been easier to use. This is the one they got. (Affiliate link – It’s also available this on Amazon.) I have this attachment for my kitchen aid that I need to try to use more. The freezer bowl is permanently stashed in our second freezer so I really need to put it to use! I hope it works just as well.
It’s important to note that homemade ice cream sometimes needs 10 minutes on the counter to soften slightly before serving. It doesn’t have any added stabilizers to make it scoopable (is that a word?) at low low temps so be prepared to practice patience and give it a few minutes to thaw just a tad.
This recipe leaves big chunks of Blueberry in the ice cream. I love those chunks but if you prefer a smoother texture I’d purée the Blueberry mixture with an immersion blender before adding it to the liquid. This will also make your Blueberry ice cream a deeper blue/purple color.
What’s your favorite kind of ice cream? I see a true vanilla bean in my future and maybe a chocolate gelato. Yum!
Hope you love this recipe!
P.S. I definitely need to order some of these cute containers to start hoarding my homemade ice cream. I love them! And they each hold 1 quart which would be perfect for the amount my machine makes.
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| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Passive Time | 6+ hours |
| Servings |
quarts
|
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 juiced lemon
- 1/8 cup sugar
Ingredients
Liquid Custard Base
Blueberry Mixture
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- Add cream and milk to a saucepan set of medium high heat.
- Allow cream mixture to heat until just bubbling.
- Meanwhile, use electric beaters to whip the eggs and sugar together until thick and paler in color.
- Add 1/4 of hot cream mixture to the eggs to temper them. Stir constantly so eggs do not scramble.
- Once eggs are tempered, add the rest of the hot cream mixture stirring constantly.
- Return egg and cream mixture to the stove and heat until thickened and mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- This is your custard base. Allow it to cool to room temperature in a glass bow. Then cover and refrigerate until completely cold.
- Add blueberries, lemon juice and sugar to a bowl.
- Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to smash up the blueberries into a chunky soup consistency. If you prefer a smoother texture in your finished ice cream you can use an immersion blender at this point to puree the blueberry mixture. Totally up to your preference!
- Churn according to manufacturers directions on your specific machine. I like to add the liquid to the freezer bowl and let it churn for a few minutes first, then add 3/4 of the blueberry mixture for the remainder of the churning process.
- Stir in the remaining blueberry mixture by hand to create beautiful ribbons of flavor throughout your ice cream.
- Serve soft churned ice cream immediately or freeze overnight for a more scoopable consistency.
Feel free to use this custard base as a starting point to any types of variations. You could add vanilla bean paste, any other kinds of fresh mashed fruit, sprinkles, chocolate fudge, peanut butter, crushed cookies, flavoring extracts - the possibilities are endless!
Chris says
Your instructions reference adding sugar twice, but doesn’t say how much to add for the custard vs. how much for the berry mixture.