Fresh Blackberry Homemade Ice Cream with Chocolate Shards

Name: Blackberry Ice Cream with Chocolate Shards
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 ounces frozen and thawed, or fresh blackberries; 3/4 cup sugar; 1 cup milk; 2 eggs; pinch of salt; 1-1/2 cup heavy cream; 1 tablespoon vodka; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into skinny slivers with a large knife

August 3, 2012

Whether you have fresh blackberries or frozen, this recipe for Blackberry Ice Cream is simple, refreshing, not-too-sweet, and something different from the usual vanilla and chocolate. The chocolate shards are optional but highly recommended.

Blackberry Ice Cream with Chocolate Shards in serving goblets

Have you ever had this happen?

We were enjoying our first successful crop of blackberries earlier this summer when something, somebody, or some animal decided to enjoy them as well. Whatever it was swooped in and cleaned out our entire crop overnight.

The only clues were some berry parts and seeds dropped on top of the pool equipment located next to the blackberry bushes. Makes me think the berry robbers could fly. Anybody else ever had this happen? Luckily, I had gathered a pretty big batch of berries only two nights before in anticipation of making this ice cream.

Fruit and chocolate combinations

As someone who is not usually a fan of fruit/chocolate combinations, I am surprised how well the chocolate pairs with the fresh berry flavor. Your tastebuds will wallow in the initial sweet mellowness of the blackberries and cream.

But as the cream disappears, you are left with the not-so-sweet but perfectly compatible flavor of the irregularly shaped bittersweet chocolate shards. Indulge yourself and buy good chocolate for the greatest satisfaction.

Is it OK to use raw eggs in ice cream?

This is not a cooked or custard-style ice cream which tends to be richer (all those egg yolks) and certainly more labor-intensive. Please note this recipe calls for raw eggs. If you are uncomfortable with the idea or are immune-compromised, look for pasteurized eggs sold in some markets.

How to prepare berries for Fresh Blackberry Homemade Ice Cream:

preparing fresh berries to use in ice cream — Seeds ruin the texture for me so I strain them out. I’ll get my fiber somewhere else.

How to make Blackberry Ice Cream with a Donvier Ice Cream Maker:

The Donvier Ice Cream Maker is my favorite way to make ice cream. However, this recipe will work with any ice cream maker. Although the pictures show Coffee Ice Cream, the process is the same.

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inner tub for Donvier ice cream freezer — Store the inner liner of your ice cream maker in your freezer all the time or place it in your freezer for a minimum of 12 hours.

paddle inside Donvier ice cream freezer — Insert paddle and pour in chilled ice cream mixture

assembled Donvier ice cream freezer — Put the lid on and turn the paddle (or turn on your machine).

ice cream partially frozen — Churn until the ice cream is soft-serve consistency.

frozen ice cream placed into loaf pan to freeze harder inside a regular freezer — Pour soft ice cream into a chilled loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. Cover with more plastic wrap.

Why add vodka?

I’m not into drinking alcohol (personal preference) but I keep vodka in the house for two reasons.

Vodka is good for making vanilla extract
A tablespoon of vodka added to any homemade ice cream keeps it from freezing rock hard without changing the flavor. Consequently, leaving it out is OK, too. No substitute is required.

Blackberry Ice Cream with Chocolate Shards

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Blackberry Ice Cream with Chocolate Shards is a fruity ice cream studded with bittersweet chocolate pieces. Uncooked for easier assembly and a fresher taste.

Ingredients

8 ounces frozen and thawed, or fresh blackberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs
pinch of salt
1-1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vodka
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into skinny slivers with a large knife

Instructions

Put blackberries into a blender or food processor, along with sugar and milk, and blend until smooth. You could also squash berries with a potato masher.
Use a spoon or spatula to force mixture through a strainer.
Whisk eggs and salt into berry mixture. Add heavy cream, and continue whisking until smooth.
Cover and chill several hours or overnight.
Add vodka and lemon juice just before pouring cold ice cream mixture into your ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
When firm, add chocolate shards to ice cream and stir in by hand. I do this as I pour ice cream into a plastic container to put into the freezer for storage and to finish getting hard before serving.

Notes

No chocolate in the house? Try crumbled Oreo cookies instead--6 of them is a good place to start.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 320 Total Fat: 22g Saturated Fat: 13g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 100mg Sodium: 65mg Carbohydrates: 26g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 22g Protein: 5g

If you make this and enjoy the recipe, it would help me and others if you would return to this post and leave a rating (on the recipe card itself underneath the picture). Although always appreciated, no comment is required. Thanks so much! Paula

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Homemade Coffee Ice Cream

Homemade Coffee Ice Cream is uncooked and flavored with instant espresso. This will make a little more than a quart. Slightly adapted from the Sweet Cream Base recipe published in Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book.