Description
A luscious homemade blackcurrant cheesecake ice cream featuring a creamy custard base infused with vanilla, swirled with tangy blackcurrant conserve, and studded with crunchy shortbread biscuit chunks for a delightful texture contrast.
Ingredients
Scale
Ice Cream Base
- 150g cream cheese, beaten
- 1 plump vanilla pod
- 300ml full-fat milk
- 300ml double cream
- 100g golden caster sugar
- 4 egg yolks
Mix-ins and Toppings
- 100g blackcurrant conserve
- 5–6 shortbread biscuits, crumbled into chunks
Instructions
- Prepare the vanilla infusion: Place a container in the freezer to chill. Split the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the seeds with a knife, and add both seeds and pod to a pan with the milk and double cream. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from heat and let it infuse for at least 20 minutes; for best flavor, this can be done a few hours ahead and cooled.
- Mix egg yolks and sugar: In a large bowl, whisk together the golden caster sugar and egg yolks until pale and fluffy, about a few minutes.
- Combine cream cheese with infused milk: Reheat the vanilla-infused cream on the stove until just about to boil. Stir in the beaten cream cheese until smooth. Then carefully strain this hot mixture over the egg yolks while whisking continuously to combine fully.
- Cook the custard: Set up a large bowl of iced water and nest a smaller bowl inside it. Pour the custard mixture back into the pan and cook on the lowest heat, stirring slowly and constantly with a wooden spoon that scrapes the pan bottom and sides. Continue for about 10 minutes until the custard thickens, taking care not to let it boil or scramble the eggs.
- Cool the custard: Strain the cooked custard into the bowl in iced water to cool completely.
- Churn the ice cream: Pour the cooled custard into the chilled container and churn using your preferred method—ice cream machine until frozen, or alternatively by hand blender or whisking method as described—until the mixture becomes scoopable.
- Assemble layers: In the freezing container, alternate layers of churned ice cream with generous dollops of blackcurrant conserve and chunks of shortbread biscuits.
- Freeze and serve: Freeze the layered ice cream until solid, then serve scooped and enjoy the creamy, fruity, and crunchy textures.
Notes
- Cook custard slowly on low heat to prevent scrambling the eggs.
- Continuously stir custard ensuring the spoon touches the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Infuse vanilla in milk and cream ahead of time for better flavor.
- Several methods of churning are possible: machine, hand blender, or hand whisking frozen mixture.
- Layering conserve and biscuits adds a contrasting texture and bursts of fruitiness in the ice cream.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes (including vanilla infusion time)
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: blackcurrant ice cream, cheesecake ice cream, vanilla custard ice cream, homemade ice cream, shortbread chunks, fruity ice cream dessert
