Best Ice Cream Base Recipe, EVER-But only for the Brave

Blackberry Ice Cream for the Brave

One of my favorite childhood memories from visiting my grandparents in Pennsylvania is picking blackberries that grew wild along a corn field and narrowly avoiding the poison oak growing around it. This week, I bought 12 containers and we've been gorging since Saturday.

A short thought for you, but a good one. Of the three delicious components of Sunday supper, including the best leg of lamb roast I've ever done with a Rioja and pomegranate reduction, I want to share about our ice cream. I happened upon a great ice cream base that I've used for mangoes and now for blackberries, and insist you try it too.

The BRAVE portion comes from the use of raw egg whites. I've been eating raw cookie dough my whole life and while there is a small chance of contracting salmonella, my family has yet too. We use happy local back yard eggs, though, and I think that makes a difference.

This recipe made everyone very happy, and I insist, you try try too. One addition i feel I need to make is that equipment here is critical to the texture. I use an electric stand mixer with a whisk attachment to beat the eggs, an immersion blender to violently merge the fruit and cream together, and I feel without them, the texture may not be the same, but the flavor will be wonderful still.

Ice Cream Base Recipe

8 egg whites

8 tablespoons cane sugar ( non refined if possible)

2 cups pureed fruit (plus 2 cups diced fruit)

2 cups organic whole cream (organic makes a huge taste and texture difference)

Chill your ice cream maker canister in the freezer.

In a stand mixer, add the egg whites and whip them with the whisk attachment on high until fluffy, opaque and white. Add 1 tablespoon at a time of sugar, while the beater is still moving until all of it is incorporated. You can turn off your blender for a moment while you perform your next piece.

In a large mixing bowl, puree the fruit with your immersion blender. Add the cream and puree further, moving the blender about the create some stiff whip.

Turn your stand mixer back on medium speed and slowly incorporate your cream and fruit mixture into the egg whites mixture. It will appear very light and fluffy.

Remove your canister from the freezer, scrape your ice cream mix into the canister, and follow the factory directions for your maker.