Crème Fraîche-Blueberry Ice Cream
Photo Credit : Julie BidwellSweet Berry Farm’s blueberry crop inspired this Crème Fraîche-Blueberry Ice Cream Recipe, which swirls ripe fruit in a sweet-tart base of vanilla custard. “The secret to successful ice cream is to make sure that everything is as cold as possible before you freeze it,” Susanna says. “Chill the custard overnight; if you’re using an ice-cream machine with a removable double-walled canister, store the canister in the freezer for at least 24 hours between uses.”
Read more about Susanna’s Ice Cream.
Ingredients
1 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided
1/2 vanilla-bean pod (not split)
4 large egg yolks
1/3 pound fresh blueberries
1-1/2 cups creme fraîche
Instructions
Combine half and half, 2/3 cup sugar, and vanilla bean in a 3- to 4-quart pot over medium heat, until sugar dissolves and mixture is just beginning to steam, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk egg yolks briefly to combine. Stir 1/3 cup hot half-and-half mixture into egg yolks to warm them; then add yolk mixture back to rest of half-and-half mixture in a thin stream, stirring continuously. Keep stirring over medium heat until custard begins to bubble and thicken and reaches 175* on an instant-read thermometer.
Strain custard through a fine sieve, reserving vanilla bean; return it to the mixture once strained. Cover mixture with plastic wrap and chill in your refrigerator until fully cold, at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
About 30 minutes before you’re ready to freeze your ice cream, mash blueberries roughly; mix in 2 teaspoons sugar and stir to dissolve. Freeze blueberry mixture just long enough for juice to solidify, 20-30 minutes.
Remove vanilla pod from custard and stir in creme fraîche. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spoon frozen custard into a chilled bowl and gently fold in blueberries to produce purple streaks through the creamy base. Don’t overmix. If you like, pack ice cream into a plastic or glass container and store in your freezer for two hours to harden.
Let ice cream sit out 5-10 minutes before scooping.
