Cherry Bourbon Ice Cream Food

CHERRY-BOURBON ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In 3-quart heavy saucepan, stir together sweetener, cornstarch and salt with whisk. Gradually stir in milk and half-and-half. Cook over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
• In small bowl, beat egg yolk until slightly thickened. Gradually stir in about 1 cup hot cream mixture. Add yolk mixture to remaining hot cream mixture, stirring constantly with whisk. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl; discard solids. Cool 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Press plastic wrap on surface of cream mixture; refrigerate 8 to 24 hours. Pour mixture into 1 1/2-quart ice-cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer's directions; stir in cherries and bourbon halfway through freezing. Let stand at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

CHERRY BOURBON ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Freeze the ice cream maker drum in the freezer at least 24 hours prior to churning your ice cream.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk, cream, 50 grams of sugar, and a pinch of salt, along with the vanilla bean (split, seeds scraped into the pan of milk). Heat it on medium til it comes to a simmer, then take it off the heat and let it steep for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with 50 grams of sugar til they have lightened in color. Prepare a bowl with a strainer and set it next to the stove.
• Bring the milk mixture back up to a simmer, then temper the eggs with half the milk mixture, and pour it all back into the pan.
• Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon on medium heat til it coats the back of a spoon (à la nappe). You will know the custard is done cooking when you give the mixture a stir, and it stops moving right away (unlike fluid milk that would keep swirling around the pan). Immediately take the pan off the heat and strain the custard into the bowl you set aside. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes, then transfer the bowl to the fridge to chill overnight.
• To prepare the boozy cherries, heat the halved cherries with the sugar and water on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, til the juices have thickened. Take it off the heat, add the bourbon, and transfer to a container to chill in the fridge over night.
• When your ice cream drum, custard, and cherries have all chilled overnight, churn the ice cream (according to your machine's instruction booklet). I let mine churn for at least 15 minutes til it's really thick. You can add the cherries towards the end, or swirl it on top of the ice cream, directly in the container you will be storing your ice cream in. When the ice cream is made, immediately transfer it to a container and get it into the freezer.
• Homemade ice creams set very hard. Take it out of the freezer for about 10 minutes or so before serving.

BOURBON ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, combine cream, milk, sugar and salt. Heat over medium heat until bubbles form around sides of pan, stirring to dissolve sugar. , In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolks; return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook over low heat until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and temperature reaches 180°, stirring constantly. Do not allow to boil. Immediately transfer to a bowl. , Place bowl in a pan of ice water. Stir gently and occasionally for 2 minutes. Stir in bourbon and vanilla. Press waxed paper onto surface of mixture. Refrigerate several hours or overnight., Fill cylinder of ice cream maker two-thirds full; freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. (Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze.) Transfer ice cream to a freezer container; freeze until firm, 4-6 hours. Repeat with remaining mixture.