Blueberry Pie Ice Cream

I'm sure no one is shocked that I've got another blueberry recipe to put up here. This time it's ice cream. There are so many delicious ice cream flavors out there. What's best about making it is that you can take all of your favorite things and throw them into plain ice cream and it is taken to an entirely different level. If you've seen me in any ice cream shop you know this, but I am like a kid in a candy shop (I'm like a kid in a candy shop in a candy shop as well, but that's beside the point). I love trying out new flavors and getting multiple samples. I've been told I'm probably a scooper's worst nightmare with all of the conversation I try to initiate about ice cream in general, ice cream flavors, sampling, etc. It's one of those times when my enthusiasm for food isn't a good thing.

Back to the point, this recipe is what drove me to buy my new ice cream maker. I love graham crackers and I love blueberries...and who wouldn't love blueberry pie...so this recipe just screamed delicious. It was great except for a few minor things which I think could be adjusted. First, when the blueberry sauce froze it became a little too icy for my liking. The flavor was nice, but the blueberry didn't come across well when up against the creamy ice cream base. The second thing was the blueberries that did not cook down in the sauce froze and were also icy bites that weren't great texture-wise. My mom actually liked them, so maybe this wasn't as big of a problem as I thought. The best part of the ice cream was the graham cracker crumbs in the vanilla.

All-in-all, I really liked this ice cream. I paired it with pound cake which was a good combo. It could very well have been my fault that not everything turned out perfectly. After all, I am new to this whole ice cream making thing.  We had lots of family in town this weekend so I made two batches to make sure I had enough. The second batch was better than the first, so, third time's the charm, I think I'll just have to try it again.


Blueberry Pie Ice Cream
Recipe from Grin and Bake it


Ice Cream:

1 cup whole milk
¼ cup plus ¼ cup sugar
½ tsp. lemon zest
Pinch of salt
2 large egg yolks
1 cup whipping cream
¾ tsp. vanilla.
Dash of cinnamon
Graham crackers, chopped into small pieces (about ¾ cup)

Blueberry Filling:
2 – 2 ½  cups blueberries, cleaned
¼  cup powdered sugar
¼ water

To make the ice cream combine the milk, ¼ cup sugar, lemon zest and salt in a medium saucepan. Scald the milk mixture over medium-high heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes*.
While milk is scalding, whisk egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl. Add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and whisk until light and fluffy. Whisking constantly, add a small amount of the hot milk into the egg mixture. Gradually whisk in the remaining hot milk.

Return the custard mixture into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often. The custard needs to get thick enough to cover the back of a spoon (approx. 5 minutes). Remove pan from heat and place into a glass bowl of ice. Let the custard cool, stirring often for five minutes
While the custard is cooling, combine the cream and vanilla in a separate bowl. Stir into the custard mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the custard. Refrigerate until completely chilled (minimum 4 hours, overnight works too). The custard can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To make the blueberry sauce, combine blueberries, powdered sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stirring occasionally. mixture should begin to thicken between 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Ues right away or refrigerate.

Freeze the chilled custard in your ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s directions. Add the graham cracker pieces during the last minute of churning, until just mixed. Transfer to an airtight container by layering, the vanilla ice cream and the blueberry sauce. Scoop a layer of ice cream into the bottom of the container. Use a spatula to spread out evenly. Add a scoop of blueberry sauce on top and spread evenly. Add spoonfuls of vanilla on top and spread. It’s a little tricky to spread the vanilla on top of the sauce mixture. Clean fingers worked best for me. Freeze for a few hours to firm it up before you serve it.