What? You haven't got that ice cream maker out yet? Seriously? You think it's a hassle to make fresh ice cream, right? Well, think about this - you make a mixture on the stove in the morning, chill it in the fridge all day and when you want ice cream after dinner, you simply pour it into your machine and 30 minutes later you have the freshest, creamiest, most delicious ice cream you've ever tasted. So don't be a wimp - make some fresh ice cream and impress your family! There's no fillers, no additives - just the best ice cream you'll ever eat.
I made this ice cream with a little Chambord (raspberry liquor) to give it a depth of flavor but also to help keep any leftover ice cream from freezing so rock hard. The master of ice cream making, David Leibovitz, adds liquor to ice cream to help solve this problem. I also served it in cute little espresso cups that a friend gave me (thanks, Yvonne!).
Raspberry Chambord Ice Cream
for a printable recipe, click here
Ingredients:
- 6 ounces fresh raspberries
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 cups half n half
- 1 cup cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon Chambord liquor
- mint leaves for garnish
Instructions:
Puree the raspberries in a food processor and set aside. If you don't have a food processor, just mash them as finely as you can.
I use these little Bistro espresso spoons to serve with the ice cream
Cut the vanilla bean in half with a small, very sharp knife. Take each half and slice down the middle of the vanilla bean, exposing the "caviar". Take the tip of the knife and scrape out the caviar.
In a saucepan, gently heat the half n half, cream, sugar and the vanilla bean caviar over medium low heat. I also add the vanilla bean pod, so I make sure I get all the vanilla out of the bean. Stir with a wire whisk to make sure the vanilla bean gets blended well. Heat the mixture until just hot, not simmering - enough to just dissolve the sugar well. Remove the vanilla bean pod. Turn off the heat and add the pureed raspberries and Chambord and whisk.
Pour this mixture into a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup (this will make it easy to pour into your ice cream maker later. If you don't have a Pyrex measuring cup, just pour the mixture into a bowl). Place in your refrigerator to chill. Give the mixture a stir every once in a while, to promote the chilling and to make sure the raspberries don't stay at the bottom. The mixture must be well chilled in order to make ice cream. This takes several hours.
When you are ready to make ice cream, just pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker and process for about 30 minutes. Garnish with mint. Any extra ice cream can be frozen in a plastic tub and covered with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap is pressed right onto the ice cream to create an air tight seal.
tip: keep the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer and you will always be able to make fresh ice cream.
From one year ago: Slab Pie for the Fourth of July