Homemade Cherry Chip Ice Cream

Well, let’s just address the elephant in the room. I’ve moved my blog. I discovered that I could integrate it seamlessly with my website, so I just thought it made sense. If you’ve been a follower for a little while, thanks for sticking with me and I hope you like the change. If you’re new to the Gathering Table, thanks for coming. Now on to what you’re here for:

Cherry

There’s a real novelty to homemade ice cream. Something about hand selecting your ingredients and dreaming up your own unique combinations. As a kid I remember being so excited about homemade ice cream. It was probably largely due to the fact that it was a rare occurrence. It still is something I get excited about.

Trent recently went back to London to find us a flat. Keep your fingers crossed for us, I’m hoping that we’ll have a flat before little G and I head out in a few weeks. The housing market out there nuts. We’re learning that if you find something you like, you have to jump on it or it will be gone.

The other week, we decided that we would go on a homemade ice cream kick. It started with a melon sorbet and ended with vanilla. (I know, I know, vanilla. But it was piled on top of scratch made brownies and hot fudge sauce.) In the middle we made this cherry chip ice cream. It was hands down the favorite of the week. What are your favorite ice cream flavors?

I’ve said before how much I love amaretto flavored sweets. I’ll say it again. I love amaretto flavored desserts, especially when paired with cherry. If you’re an almond and cherry combo fan then you’ll love this ice cream. It’s sweet and nutty with just a kick of chocolate. This ice cream is a Philadelphia style ice cream, which means there are no eggs. It’s simple; no cook, just sweeten, flavor, and churn. Minus additional freezer time for firmer ice cream, this bad boy can be whipped up in less than 45 minutes.

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1 TBS vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
1 tsp pure almond extract
1 1/2 cups frozen cherries, 1/2 cup roughly chopped
1/2 cup good quality chocolate chips or chunks

Process:
Combine cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, almond extract and 1 cup of the cherries in a blender. Blend until smooth and sugar is dissolved.

Put mixture in an ice cream maker and process according to manufacture’s directions, adding the remaining chopped cherries and chocolate during the last five minutes.

Put in an air tight container and freeze for at least two hours, or as long as you can stand to wait.