Description
Scoops of homemade Cherry Garcia that rival the real thing? This recipe nails that perfect balance of creamy vanilla, tart cherries, and chocolate chunks for serious ice cream bliss.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (473ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (237ml) whole milk
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (225g) fresh cherries, pitted and halved
- 2 tablespoons cherry liqueur or kirsch (optional)
- 4 ounces (113g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Combine heavy cream, milk, half the sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Heat until steaming but not boiling.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with remaining sugar until pale yellow and thickened.
- Slowly pour 1 cup of hot cream mixture into egg mixture while whisking constantly, then pour everything back into the saucepan.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (170-175°F).
- Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- While base chills, toss pitted cherries with optional liqueur and let macerate for 30 minutes, then drain.
- Chop chocolate into irregular chunks of various sizes.
- Churn chilled custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- When it reaches soft-serve consistency, add cherries and chocolate chunks. Churn 1-2 minutes more to incorporate.
- Transfer to a freezer container, optionally swirling in any reserved cherry liquid for a marbled effect.
- Cover with parchment paper pressed onto surface and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.