This Saturday we will be attending a function at the church, it is a picnic and concert in the park. But since we live in Arizona and it is 108 degrees by 11:30 am the activity will be at the church in the gym. We are to all bring a box dinner and some of us have been asked to bring homemade ice cream.
I began making this ice cream recipe about 15 years ago when I lived in Missouri and I took the children Blueberry picking. We of course froze some and made muffins and syrup for pancakes. But then I also thought about ice cream. I make Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins so I thought Blueberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream would be good too.
So here we go….
Blueberry Ice Cream
- 2 Cups Half and Half
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cups whipping cream
- zest of half a lemon
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
A note here, you really want to use mini chocolate chips
because the larger ones are very hard when the ice cream is frozen.
Also only add the chocolate chips into the mix during the last few minutes of freezing just long enough to mix them all into the ice cream. Adding them at this time keeps them from getting broken up during the freezing process.
Place the egg yolks in a bowl and beat just to break up then add the sugar, do not over mix, you just want to incorporate the sugar into the eggs. Set aside.
Use a sharp knife to slit your vanilla bean lengthwise, pour the half and half into a heavy 1 to 2 quart sauce pan, add the vanilla bean. Heat to just boiling, do not allow the milk to boil over. When the half and half is heated to boiling remove the vanilla bean. You will notice little flecks in the milk, these are the vanilla seeds you want them, pour the vanilla milk into the egg and sugar mixture stirring constantly.
Clean out the pan and dry the outside of the pan leaving the inside wet, this will help keep the custard from 
sticking to the side of the pan. Pour the custard mixture back into the pan and on a very low heat and constantly stirring with a wooden spoon, cook the custard about 7 minutes until the custard is thick and coats the back of a spoon.
Do not rush this process if you cook the custard too fast too hot the eggs will curdle and you will have scrambled egg ice cream. So low and slow stirring constantly. After the custard is cooked if it has curdled a little pout it through a fine sieve into a bowl. Add the whipping cream, lemon zest and blueberries at this point and the vanilla extract if you did not use the vanilla beans in the half and half earlier.
Cover the custard and place in the refrigerator to cool. when the mixture is cold follow the manufacturers directions on your ice cream machine. If you like soft serve ice cream eat it as soon as the ice cream machine says the ice cream is ready. if you like hard serve or hand dipped ice cream place the soft ice cream in a container and place it in the freezer for a few hours until it sets and is ready to scoop.
Finished blueberry custard just put into the ice cream freezer
Finished soft serve
Either way this is a great ice cream. Just note that the actual custard recipe can be used to make really any fruit ice cream or just as it is for a vanilla ice cream.
