The Best Fresh Berry Ice Cream

Ingredients

Vanilla Ice Cream Base: 2½ cups heavy cream 1½ cups whole milk 1 large vanilla bean, scraped 1 cup sugar 10 yolks

Berries Roast: ¾ pound fresh berries 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar – preferably aged 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons cornsyrup

Directions

To make the Vanilla Ice Cream Base: Heat the heavy cream, milk, vanilla bean and sugar in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. The longer you let this mixture sit, the stronger the vanilla flavor will be. I often bring the mixture to a simmer, turn off the heat and let it steep for an hour or so. Before you continue with the recipe, you will need to bring it back to a simmer. Whisk together the yolks in a medium sized bowl. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and whisk a small amount of the cream into the egg mixture. Add enough cream to warm the eggs. Once the eggs are warm, add them back into the pot of remaining cream. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir the custard over low heat. Continue stirring until the mixture starts to thicken. When the custard seems to be getting thicker, lift the rubber spatula and run your finger through it. It is done when the custard clings to the spatula. Strain the custard through a fine mesh Strainer or Chinois into a shallow dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and immediately place in the refrigerator. Allow the custard to “ripen” for 6 to 12 hours for the best result. If you are in a rush, at least make sure the custard is thoroughly chilled. As you can see above that the custard will be quite thick once it has chilled. To roast the berries: Toss the berries with the balsamic and sugar, lay them out on a Nonstick Silicone Mat covered baking sheet. Make sure you use one with sides, because the juices will over run the pan. Place the pan in the oven and turn it on to 300°F and slowly roast them until they have given up their juices and are kind of mushy looking. Their color will also be darker. This will take about 30 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the fruit. Scoop the fruit and all of its sugars into a bowl. Add the cornsyrup to the fruit, it will add sweetness, but will keep the ice cream a silky smooth texture. I like to use a potato masher to crush the berries, which leaves small chunks of fruit. If you prefer a smooth ice cream you can puree the berries with an immersion blender. Chill the berries until they are very cold. Add the berries to the vanilla ice cream base and freeze according to your Ice Cream Maker‘s instructions. While it is in the machine, place a bowl in the freezer to have ready to scoop the ice cream into. Once the ice cream is frozen to a soft-serve consistency, scoop it into the frozen bowl and place it in the freezer for a couple of hours to firm up.

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