Description
Brandied cherry-and-chocolate chunk ice cream combines rich, creamy textures with luxurious French-inspired flavors. Sweet cherries and dark chocolate create a sophisticated dessert that delights discerning palates and offers pure indulgence in each cool spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups (473 ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (237 ml) whole milk
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cherries, pitted and halved
- ½ cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
- ¼ cup (60 ml) brandy
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cherry Preparation: Gently simmer cherries with sugar and brandy in a saucepan until liquid reduces to a luxurious syrup, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and cool completely.
- Cream Base Development: Warm cream, milk, and partial sugar in a saucepan until steaming. Simultaneously, whisk egg yolks with remaining sugar until pale and silky. Carefully temper egg mixture by gradually incorporating hot cream while whisking continuously.
- Custard Refinement: Return tempered mixture to saucepan, stirring over low heat until custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Strain through fine-mesh sieve to ensure smoothness, then cool to room temperature and refrigerate for 4-6 hours to intensify flavors.
- Churning and Incorporation: Pour chilled custard into ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. During final moments of churning, fold in brandied cherries with their syrupy essence and chocolate chunks for even distribution.
- Freezing and Serving: Transfer freshly churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for 2-4 hours until achieving desired consistency. Scoop and enjoy this decadent brandied cherry-chocolate frozen delicacy.
Notes
- Prevent Curdling Carefully: Slowly temper egg yolks by adding hot cream gradually while constantly whisking to avoid scrambling eggs, ensuring smooth custard base.
- Strain for Silky Texture: Always strain custard through fine-mesh sieve to remove any potential egg fragments, creating ultra-smooth ice cream consistency.
- Control Simmering Closely: When macerated cherries are cooking, stir frequently and maintain gentle heat to prevent burning and develop perfect syrupy texture.
- Patience Matters: Allow custard to chill thoroughly in refrigerator for minimum 4 hours, which develops deeper flavor complexity and helps ice cream set properly.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2-4 hours
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 469
- Sugar: 36 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 186 mg