Tag Archives: ice cream

Ice Cream! Ice Cream! We All Scream For…No Churn?!

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Now that I’ve stepped into the dangerous zone of no churn ice cream, there’s no turning back.  The cherry cheesecake ice cream I made was damn good, and the kid and I have been steadily chipping away at it.  As luck would have it, I got a bunch of fresh mint from the CSA last week.  Fresh mint = mint ice cream!!  I tried making fresh mint ice cream a few years ago, but it was a more complicated process where I steeped the mint in cream, cooked it into a custard, used the ice cream machine, etc.  It was a pain in the ass, and I didn’t even like it that much.  Now that I have a pretty good grasp on the no churn method, I wanted to try again.  I decided to add Oreos into the mix, because, why the hell not?!  Cookies and Cream Mint Ice Cream!

I picked up my CSA loot on a super hot and muggy day.  It was such a gross day, that during the drive home, my mint wilted into a sad, limp handful of nope.  BUT.  I saved them.  There is an easy way to rescue wilted vegetables and herbs.  I wrote about it in my Efficient Like a Boss post.  I put the mint into a cup and poured enough water to cover the bottom of the stems.  Then I put a plastic bag over the mint and wrapped a rubber band to secure the bag to the cup.  After a few hours in the fridge, the mint perked right back up.  This method keeps herbs and vegetables fresh longer, and also works to rescue limp produce that you might otherwise toss.  Actually, at this very moment, I have a large cup full of Swiss chard, kale, and fennel in the fridge keeping fresh and perky.

Anyways, back to making ice cream.  I’m not actually sure how much fresh mint to use for the ideal minty flavor.  I only had the bunch I received from the farm, and that came out to be about a half cup.  So, if you have access to more mint, then by all means, use more.  If you don’t have any fresh mint, then you can use mint extract.  I ended up using both fresh mint and mint extract.  I used my old fashioned mortar and pestle to grind up my mint leaves.  I added a tablespoon of sugar.  Honestly, I don’t think the sugar was necessary, but I was making stuff up as I went, and it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.  So, we’ll say, sugar is optional.  You can use a food processor, but I like the mortar and pestle because using them make me feel like an alchemist.  Plus, the food processor ends up mangling and ripping the leaves and does not extrude all the minty goodness out of the leaves.

It only took a minute to mash up the leaves into a dark green paste.  Set that aside.

I whipped 2 cups of heavy cream with a teaspoon of vanilla extract into whipped cream.  I started on low speed to avoid splatter and worked my way up to high speed as the mixture thickened.  Mix on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Stiff peaks.  Put the whipped cream in the fridge if you’re not ready to use it yet.

I strained the mint paste and used a spoon to squeeze out as much minty liquid as I could out of that clump.

I added a can of sweetened condensed milk to the mint liquid.

Then I got the whipped cream out and gently folded it into the minty condensed milk.  Don’t be too rough and mix vigorously, or the whipped cream will deflate and get too liquidy.

Smooth creamy ice cream base after the folding is complete.  Give it a taste.  If it’s not minty enough, add mint extract.  To me, the mint flavor was too gentle, so I added half a teaspoon of mint extract.  If you decide to add more, add a little at a time because mint extract is potent stuff.

I chopped up about 8 Oreos to make a heaping cup of cookie chunks.

I gently folded the cookie chunks into the ice cream, and then poured it into a freezer-safe container.  It’ll take a few hours for the ice cream to harden.

Needless to say, the ice cream disappeared very quickly.  The dainty Hello Kitty cup and saucer made it even more enjoyable.

No Churn Cookies and Cream Mint Ice Cream

Ingredients
– 1/2 cup packed mint leaves
– 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
– 1/2 teaspoon or more mint extract (optional)
– 2 cups heavy whipping cream
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1 can sweetened condensed milk
–  8 Oreos 

Directions
– Chop up the Oreo cookies into small chunks, set aside.
– Mash the mint leaves and optional spoonful of sugar with a mortar and pestle until a dark, wet paste forms.  Strain the clump using whatever method (strainer, cheesecloth, etc) and get as much of the mint liquid out as possible.  Set aside.
– Whip the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.  Store the whipped cream in the fridge until ready for use.
– Mix the strained mint liquid with the can of condensed milk.  Gently fold in the whipped cream.  Avoid vigorous mixing so the whipped cream stays fluffy.  If the mixture is not minty enough, add half a teaspoon of mint extract at a time until you’re happy.
– Fold in the chopped cookie chunks.  Pour the ice cream into a freezer-safe container.  Put it in the freezer for about 4 hours or until the ice cream hardens.

Time To Pop Your Ice Cream Cherry

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We started getting our vegetable and fruit share from a local CSA (community supported agriculture) a few weeks ago.  We were with a different CSA for a couple of years, but we had to part ways when we moved.  We were CSA-less last year since we were busy with the move and getting settled in.  I finally got around to looking up what is in the area, and not too surprising (we now live near a lot of farms), I found a bunch of CSA’s.

For those of you who are interested, but not sure about taking the plunge, I urge you to give it a try.  Obviously, do your research first, but we had a great experience with our first CSA, and this new one has been great.  They are a sustainable farm, using integrated pest management.  They are being responsible farmers, minimizing their impact on the environment, and keeping things healthy for people, the land, and animals.  We get to support a local farmer, and get a box full of freshly picked produce for a very reasonable price.  We also get interesting varieties of vegetables and fruits that you probably wouldn’t find at a regular grocery store, along with heirloom varieties.  I also really like how every week is a surprise, and it forces me to try new things.

This is our loot from three weeks ago.  I love it, but I have to say, this sudden increase of leafy greens and fiber in my diet, wrecked me pretty bad.  But that is a personal issue that I have to work out.

Ok, enough of my plug on CSA’s.  Back to the really important part.  Home made, no churn, CHERRY CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM.  Yes, you can make ice cream at home, and NO ice cream maker or messing with rock salt and ice is needed.  It is a fairly simple process, and only requires a few ingredients.  The only special equipment you need is a mixer.

Last week, I got a carton of cherries from the CSA.  My friends also wanted to go to a different local farm to pick berries, so I ended up with more cherries.  I have no idea what kind of cherries they are, but these bright and beautiful little suckers are mouth puckeringly tart.  I had to cook them into something because it was a bit painful eating them plain.

I do not have a cherry pitter because I just do not get cherries often enough to justify getting another gadget.  So I sliced each cherry in half, and had my daughter dig the pits out.  It’s not very pretty, but they’re going to get mashed and mixed into ice cream anyways.  This was about 2 cups of cherries.

I mixed a heaping quarter cup of sugar with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.  You may need to adjust the amount of sugar you use depending on how tart your cherries are.

I first simmered the cherries for about 10 minutes, until they deflated and let out a lot of juice.  Then I added the sugar and cornstarch and cooked the mixture for another 2-3 minutes.  You’ll notice the mixture thickening.  Don’t forget to stir often or you might end up with a burnt mess.  After I turned off the heat, I stirred in about half a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Let the cherries cool down.  They are ready for ice cream, or pie, or whatever.  They are still tart, but in a good way now.

On to the ice cream.  I got a package of regular fat cream cheese, a can of sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, heavy whipping cream, and graham crackers.  And of course, the cherries.

I first made whipped cream.  I poured 1.5 cups of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of vanilla into the mixing bowl.  I started on low speed so as not to decorate the kitchen with cream.  I worked my way to high speed and let it go for a few minutes until I got stiff peaks.  I transferred the whipped cream to another bowl, and stuck it in the fridge.  No need to wash the mixing bowl, on to the next step.

Drop the block of cream cheese into the bowl.  I had first let the cream cheese sit at room temperature for about an hour.  This way, it mixed smoothly and easily.

I mixed the cream cheese on medium until it became smooth.  Then I added the whole can of condensed milk.  Make sure you use condensed milk, NOT evaporated milk.  Totally different ingredient, totally different results.  The dark yellow stuff in the bowl is the condensed milk.

Mix the condensed milk and cream cheese together until you get a smooth, liquidy goop.

Get the whipped cream out of the fridge, and scoop the whole lot into the mixing bowl.

At this point, get a spatula out.  Fold the whipped cream gently into the cream cheese mixture.  You don’t want to stir or be too vigorous, or the whipped cream will deflate and become too liquidy.

Pour the finished ice cream base into a freezer safe container.  I used a small Pyrex dish.  I’ve seen a lot of ice cream recipes use a loaf pan.  That’s fine and all, but I don’t have a lid for my loaf pan, and I prefer to keep my ice cream tightly covered in the freezer.  Next to my ice cream are the cherries, and 4 sheets of graham crackers that my daughter helped smash.

So originally, I was going for a swirly look, but my daughter and I had different ideas of what a swirl looks like.  We did not hold back with the cherries and graham crackers.  We threw everything in.

The ice cream is now ready to go into the freezer for a few hours to firm up.  We had some overflow so we had to eat it up.  It tasted really good, like a cheesecake milkshake.

Look at this gorgeous home made ice cream.  It tasted like frozen cheesecake.  I got fancy and drizzled some chocolate balsamic vinegar over my ice cream (not shown), and it was freaking delicious.

Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Cherry Filling

Ingredients:
– 2 cups tart cherries
– 1⁄4 – 1⁄2 cup sugar (depends on how tart your cherries are)
– 2 tablespoons corn starch
– 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Directions:
– Wash and pit the cherries
– Simmer the cherries on medium low heat for about 10 minutes until they release their juices.
– Mix the sugar and corn starch together, then add the mixture to the cherries.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
– Take the pot off the heat, and stir in the vanilla extract.  Let the cherries cool before using.

Cream Cheese Ice Cream Base

Ingredients:
– 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
– 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
– 1 block of regular fat cream cheese (8 ounces)
–  1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)

Directions:
– Let the cream cheese sit at room temperature for an hour.
– Pour the heavy cream and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl.  Start on low speed, and work your way to high speed.  Whip on high for a few minutes until the cream forms stiff peaks.  Remove from the bowl and place in the fridge.
– Put the cream cheese into the mixing bowl.  Mix on medium speed until it’s smooth.  
– Add the condensed milk to the cream cheese.  Mix until smooth and liquid looking.
– Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture using a spatula.  Fold until everything is incorporated, smooth and kind of fluffy looking.  
– Pour the ice cream base into a freezer safe container.

Mix or swirl the cherries and 4 crushed graham crackers into the ice cream base.  Put the ice cream into the freezer for at least 4 hours.