What better to take to a BBQ celebrating running than fattening, sweet, creamy and delicious homemade ice cream? Mel & John got me the ice cream maker for my birthday, and I couldn't be happier! I've been coveting ice cream makers lately, and gazing longingly at all of the homemade ice cream recipes in my magazines. And thanks to V's amazing accomplishment, I had the perfect occasion to make my first batch!
with a bowl of fresh cherries in the fridge (also from the parents), there was no question as to what flavor I would experiment with first. Cherry dark chocolate chip, of course! I made a cherry puree (after hand pitting all of the cherries...), and a separate dish of chopped cherries... both of which I cooked down with a little sugar and threw in the fridge to cool overnight. Following the recipe for basic vanilla ice cream (from the manual that came with my ice cream maker), I mixed together 2 cups half n' half, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup sugar, and a splash of vanilla. I poured the mix into the maker and started churning. After it churned for about 15 minutes and started to freeze, I added the puree. Another 5 minutes, and I tossed in the cherry pieces and chopped dark chocolate chips. After a short 30 minutes, my ice cream was ready! I packed it up and headed out the door...
It was the perfect day for a marathon, a BBQ, and homemade cherry dark chocolate chip ice cream! The sun was shining, for the first day in a week the clouds had lifted, and some of my favorite people got together to celebrate. We congratulated, hugged, and high-fived over burgers, fresh chunky homemade salsa, Bree's Asian inspired salad, lemonade, cupcakes, beer, fresh fruit and veggies, and of course, my homemade ice cream. It was soft, creamy, and sweet, with just a hint of cherry flavor, and delish little bites of chewy cherries and dark chocolate. It was so creamy and smooth that it tasted almost like frozen whipped cream. My first attempt at ice cream was a big hit at V's marathon BBQ, and I can't wait until another one of my awesome, talented friends gives me a reason to share my delicious frozen treats (because until then, Evan and I will be eating a lot of ice cream on our own...)
