Fresh Bing Cherry Ice Cream Food

HOMEMADE CHERRY ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Combine cherries, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar in a bowl and mix well. Set aside for 2 hours. Drain, reserving juice.
• Mash 1/2 the cherries with a fork or puree in a blender.
• Combine milk and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until sugar has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add reserved cherry juice, cream, pureed cherries, vanilla extract; mix to combine.
• Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions, about 20 minutes. Add remaining quartered cherries and freeze for an additional 5 minutes. Ice cream should be nice and creamy. If you prefer it harder, transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, about 4 hours. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.

VANILLA CHERRY ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Combine the cream, milk, and sugar in a bowl. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Add the cherries. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

BING CHERRY ICE CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Drain cherries, reserving juice. Place juice and cornstarch in a saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in extract and cherries. Serve warm over ice cream or Old-Fashioned Frozen Vanilla Custard (recipe also found in Recipe Finder).

FRESH BING CHERRY ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Pit 2/3 of the cherries. If you have a cherry pitter or a totally awesome Cherry Chomper, I am jealous of you. Though I just cut the cherries in half with a paring knife, then carefully pried them apart and removed the pit - not too bad. Still no Cherry Chomper, though. (Update: I have since learned this method, which is way easier!)
• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice over the cherry halves and toss lightly.
• Pit and dice the remaining 1/3 of the cherries. Cut the cherry in half, remove the pit, and then cut each half into fourths. Or, you know, cut 'em how you like.
• And then sprinkle the other teaspoon of lemon juice over the diced cherries and toss a little. We're keeping the cherries a nice burgundy so they can become a nice light burgundy. Not pink!
• Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until the mixture is frothy. This takes a good couple of minutes.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and whipping cream over low heat, until the mixture is very warm - when it forms bubbles around the sides, it's about ready.
• Very slowly pour the hot cream/milk mixture into the beaten eggs, whipping briskly the entire time. You're tempering the eggs - heating them slowly and evenly so that you don't make scrambled eggs instead of beautiful custard.
• Return the milk/cream/eggs/sugar mixture to the saucepan and, stirring constantly over medium-low heat, cook until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon - about 10 minutes (sometimes takes as long as 15, but watch carefully and remove from the heat as soon as it's thick).
• Remove from the heat.
• Stir in the cherry halves (NOT the diced cherries - those go into the ice cream at the last minute).
• Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes or so.
• Stir in the vanilla.
• And then puree! I use my handy dandy immersion blender. You can also use a good old fashioned blender. Be careful, though. The mixture is still hot. Let it sit for a few more minutes if you're not sure.
• Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve.
• Let the custard cool completely. This can happen in the fridge, or you can set the container in a bowl or sink of ice water to speed up the process.
• Once it's cooled, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer instructions. I use this handy dandy Cuisinart number. It's way easy.
• When the mixture is just about frozen, add the diced cherries.
• Now you can eat it, or spread it in a container and freeze the rest of the way.
• We enjoyed this plain, and I also whipped up some dark chocolate hot fudge to try over the top. Both are equally, sinfully great.

BING CHERRY ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine water, 3/4 cup sugar and cherries.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.
• Remove from heat; let the cherries steep 30 minutes.
• Drain the cherries, discarding the syrup.
• Transfer the cherries to a bowl, cover and refrigeratoe for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
• In a food processor, process cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Meanwhile, combine the milk, cream and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally tohelp dissolve the sugar, until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes.
• Add about 1/2 cup of the hot-milk mixture to the cream cheese; process until smooth, about 30 seconds.
• Add the remining milk mixture and process for another 30 seconds.
• Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl.
• Add vanilla; stir to combine.
• Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
• Pour the cream mixture into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• When nearly frozen and the consistency of thick whipped cream, add the cherries.
• Churn or stir just until mixed.
• Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container.
• Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours our up to 3 days, before serving.

FRESH BING CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Place cherries a glass bowl. Add sugar, sea salt, orange muscat wine, lemon zest, lemon juice and stir.
• Place bay leaves, allspice berries, whole cloves, cinnamon stick in cheese cloth and tie with a string to complete Sachet. Place Sachet in cherries, cover with plastic and chill for 1 hour.
• Melt 1-tablespoon butter in a heavy bottom saucepan and saute shallots until they are soft or tender. Add cherry brandy and reduce by one-half.
• Add fresh cherries with their juice, Sachet and bring to a slow boil. Stir cherries to prevent burning and wish in butter. Reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove cherries from heat, discard Sachet and allow cherries to cool slightly.
• Puree cherries with a hand blender, bring to a simmer, add nutmeg and cayenne pepper to taste. Stir cherry sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Strain cherry sauce using a fine sieve or chinois. Serve Fresh Bing Cherry Sauce hot or room temperature.
• Garnish: Fresh Bing Cherry Sauce with Whole Cherries.
• *Orange Muscat Dessert Wine (Nibbia Winery, Half-Moon Bay, Ca.).
• Chef's Note: You can use any Muscat Wine.