Sweet Bites: Blueberry-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Today is National Soft Ice Cream Day so I thought I’d share my thoughts and a few recipes with you on the matter of the cold, sweet dairy delight.

I acquired my beloved cherry red ice cream maker many years ago and have made at least one batch of ice cream or sorbet every summer since. Some summers it gets a lot of use, and sometimes the machine gets pressed into action even when it’s not summer. But it’s still a special occasion at our house when the insulated barrel/bowl goes into the freezer and heavy cream gets added to the grocery list. 

There are two main types of ice cream – American/Philadelphia style ice cream, which is eggless, and frozen custard which is egg-abundant. Also multiple subcategories (gelato) and offshoots (hello sorbet!) The custard version can be a little tricky – several more steps, and you’ve got to pay attention to avoid scrambling the eggs. Both can be delicious but I think the custard version usually tastes a teeny bit better, if you're willing to put in the extra work.

Blueberry + chocolate together make a winning flavor combination in my book, but this was not my best batch of ice cream. Oh we still ate it and enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong. But it was not THE revelatory batch of ice cream with flavor and texture and mouthfeel so sublime that all others will be compared to it. The good news is that once you find the base recipe and technique that pleases you and your tastebuds the most, it can easily be adapted with any flavor(s) that you like. 

Pictures, tunes and recipes will be shared after the jump. Just click the Read More link below. 

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How about a couple of cool tunes as you read on and chill out?

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This blueberry-chocolate chip ice cream is of the Philadelphia/eggless variety. The basic steps are these:

1. Make the mix – cream, milk, sugar, flavorings.
   
2. Chill the mix for several hours, ideally overnight.
   
3. Freeze the mix using your ice cream maker (instructions for machines may vary, but usually you pour the mix into a pre-frozen barrel/bowl and let the machine spin and churn for about a half hour). 
   
4. Add any mix-ins, such as chocolate chips, chopped nuts or fruit, alcohol (proceed with caution! too much booze inhibits freezing) during the last 5 minutes.
   
5. Pack the ice cream into a container (it will still be soft-ish), place a layer of plastic wrap directly on top of the ice cream, and then freeze for at least 2 hours until it reaches the desired consistency.
   

Click on the pictures below to enlarge them and read the captions.

Here are a few recipe links: Blueberry-Dark Chocolate; Cinnamon Ice Cream – just heavenly with grilled fruit such as bananas or pineapples; and the NY Times’ best ice cream base for whatever flavor suits your fancy.

I also encourage you to look for advice and recipes from one of the best ice cream masters out there – David Lebovitz. He’s got a great cookbook on the subject – The Perfect Scoop – highly recommended! 

What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Tell all in the Comments!