I’ve been meaning to make ice cream for ages. And I’ve finally gotten around to it. This was a fabulous first ice cream to make. After picking way too many pounds of blackberries, and first eating my fill, I made this ice cream. Black raspberry ice cream is one of my favorite flavors, so I was really excited to try this. While it’s a very different flavor, this is equally good (and conveniently located in my freezer). The berries give this a hint of tartness, with all of the sweet creaminess of the custard, and then a bit of a crunch from chopped chocolate. This was delicious and surprisingly easy, the hardest part is definitely waiting for it to harden in the freezer!
Blackberry Chip Ice Cream
Makes about 1/2 gallon
Adapted from Table for Two
- 2 pints fresh blackberries (about 4 cups blackberries)
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Before you begin, make sure that your ice cream maker’s bowl is in the freezer. It’s probably best if the bowl has been frozen for at least 24 hours.
In a pot, combine blackberries, 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice, and heat over medium until blackberries are broken down, about 15 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and push as much of the berries through as possible. Set the liquid aside to cool, and discard the berry pulp.
In a clean pot, mix the half and half and remaining 1 cup sugar, and heat over medium-low heat until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until thick and pale yellow. Then ladle some of the half and half mixture into the egg yolks while whisking to temper the eggs. Once the eggs are warmed up, add them to the half and half pot while stirring continuously. Continue to cook the mixture until thickened and the custard coats the back of a spoon and a line drawn through it stays.
In a large tupperware, combine blackberry syrup and heavy cream, then pour in the custard mixture, stirring to combine. Cover the tupperware and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
When the custard mixture has chilled and you’re ready to make you ice cream, add it to your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (For me, this means putting the frozen bowl into the machine and starting it before pouring in the custard mixture. Allowing the machine to run for 20 minutes and then scooping the ice cream into a tupperware to be frozen.)
Once the custard has finished its time in the ice cream maker, fold in the chopped chocolate and scoop the ice cream into a tupperware. Freeze the ice cream for at least a couple of hours before serving, or serve immediately if you prefer soft-serve.
