Raspberry Brownie and Cheesecake Ice Cream ~ A Base Recipe

I don't know about you, but I eat yogurt and ice cream all through the cold months even though it's typically considered a "hot weather" treat.  This is precisely why one of the first things I registered for at Bed Bath and Beyond was a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.  My family gave it to me as a gift at my Favorite Things shower and I have been itching to use it ever since.

This past week presented the perfect opportunity.  And by opportunity, I mean that I had some left over raspberry cream cheese brownies that I needed to get rid of before I ate every single last bite that I had left.  I also had some remaining cheesecake from a date night that Trey and I had enjoyed at The Palm in Atlanta a few days before.  Brownies and cheesecake in ice cream?  Um, yes please.

For the base of the ice cream I used a recipe from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.  Jeni's is based out of Ohio but ships their ice cream nation wide.  I've ordered some before and must say it's hands down the best ice cream I've ever eaten.  Ever.  I know that's a pretty heft claim, but once you take a spoonful I'm willing to bet you'll agree as well.

I simply prepared the base, processed it in the ice cream maker, and then added my raspberry cream cheese brownies and cheesecake bits.  The best thing about this recipe is that it's just a base recipe, which means you can build it whatever way you like.  Add fruit, candy, chocolate, ....the list is endless.  Personalize it and make it yours :)

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Base courtesy of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home
2 C milk
4 tsp cornstarch
1 1/4 C heavy cream
2/3 C sugar
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp cream cheese, softened

*I doubled this recipe in case you're wondering why my portions look so much larger in my photos.

Stir 1/4 C milk and cornstarch together in bowl.  Set slurry aside.  (Why it's called slurry I'm not sure....I'll research that one for ya.)

In 4 qt sauce pan whisk together heavy cream, sugar, corn syrup, salt and remaining milk (1 3/4 C).  Bring to boil over medium high heat.  Cook for 4 minutes.  Stir in slurry.  Continue cooking, stirring until thickened (approximately 2 minutes).

Place cream cheese in separate large bowl and pour in 1/4 C hot milk mixture from saucepan.  Whisk until combined and smooth.  Add in remaining milk mixture from saucepan and stir to combine.

Allow mixture to cool slightly.  Pour into plastic zip loc bag, seal and submerge into bowl of ice water until chilled.

Pour mixture into ice cream maker and follow instructions from manufacturer.  Pour into sealable container and place in freezer until set.

*If you want to add anything to the ice cream you need to do so AFTER you process the ice cream in the ice cream maker, but BEFORE you set it in the freezer.  Just make sure you layer it and freeze as you go.  Otherwise all of your added pieces will just float straight to the top.  i.e. Add a layer of ice cream, top with brownies, freeze completely.  Then repeat over and over.

Cutting up the raspberry cream cheese

brownies and cheesecake into bite sized pieces

Layering the ice cream and added ingredients

This is my husband's bulldog, Moe.  She was not happy

that I was keeping her up past her bedtime.  Can

you tell?? :)

Mmmmmm

Add some fresh raspberries to the dish to 

brighten the flavor

Whipped Banana Ice Cream

Surprise!  I'm back.  I know I said yesterday was my last post before my "wedding furlough", but I made some whipped banana "ice cream" yesterday and have been chomping at the bit to share it with all of you.  I have read about this recipe on Pinterest (don't even get me started on the addictive properties of Pinterest...oh dear lord!), and have been pondering trying it for some time now.

This recipe involves a banana.  Yep, that's it.  Just a banana.  Or two, or three, or even four depending on how much "ice cream" you want to make.  I put ice cream in quotation marks because it's not really ice cream.  But the frozen bananas are supposed to taste like ice cream.

You simply slice a banana, stick the pieces in a tupperware container in the freezer for an hour or two, and then whip the pieces in a blender.  Easy as pie.  Or well, in the case, as easy as ice cream.  I will say that I tried freezing the whole banana, but it doesn't work so great when you try to peel that whole frozen banana.  Peel it and chop it first, then freeze it.

Pinterest says you can just whip a banana, but I think next time I'd add a bit of peanut butter or chocolate to give it some depth of flavor.  Don't get me wrong, it's not that I didn't like it.  But I think it would taste better with some sugar :)  Leave it to me to ruin a healthy treat.