Fresh raspberries and white chocolate turn vanilla ice cream from plain to yum!
I've read that New Englanders eat more ice cream than the rest of the country, and Massachusetts leads the pack, which is odd since it's cold there for so much of the year, but I can say as a kid growing up in the state, I remember going for ice cream all the time in the summer.
There was an ice cream shop right in town complete with the walk-up screened windows and picnic tables under the trees where you could sit and eat your ice cream.
Now that the town we live in here in Maine doesn't have an ice cream shop, I've started making my own homemade ice cream. I love experimenting with different popular flavors. And my basic vanilla bean ice cream is the perfect recipe to start with.
It's quick and easy, and becomes a great foundation other ice cream flavors simply by stirring in some add-ins such as fresh or frozen fruit, nuts or chocolate pieces.
In this case, I stirred in some chopped white chocolate and homemade raspberry syrup to create this raspberry white chocolate version.
(scroll down for the printable recipe card)
Raspberry White Chocolate Ice Cream
Makes about 1-1/2 quarts.4 Cups milk
2 Cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons vanilla bean paste (I buy mine here)
1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
Ice Cream Maker (this is the one I have)
Simmer the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat just until bubbles begin to form around the edges. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla and let sit for ten minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the sugar, salt and egg yolks in a medium bowl.
Slowly add some of the warm milk mixture to the egg mixture, a few spoonfuls at a time, whisking to combine, then pour the mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. This needs to be done so the egg doesn't start to cook and curdle.
Continue to cook the mixture for two to three minutes over medium-low heat until warmed through, whisking constantly.
Remove from the heat. Pour the mixture into a bowl, using a spatula to get all the flecks out, and refrigerate the mixture until completely cooled, about an hour.
Cook, stirring until the berries soften and the liquid has thickened slightly. Press the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl. Discard the seeds.
Coarsely chop the white chocolate.
Once the ice cream base has cooled, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. (My machine takes about 20-30 minutes to reach a soft-serve consistency.)
Scoop half of the mixture into a regular loaf pan, then sprinkle half of the chocolate on top and drizzle half of the raspberry sauce.
Scoop out the remaining ice cream, top it with the remaining chocolate and sauce, then use a chopstick or butter knife to swirl the stir-ins throughout the ice cream.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze it for several hours until the ice cream has hardened.
