blueberry muffin ice cream

Question: what's better than a blueberry muffin? Answer: blueberry muffin ice cream! Duh.

Although the temps here in the Baby State aren't the June temps I'm quite accustomed to, I've still been antsy to use my fancy pants ice cream maker. I've had this thang for over a year now and used it only twice. Craziness. That is all about to change now that it's summatime once again.

Sidenote: can I call weather that has been consistently in the mid-70s summer? New England summers are like mild Midwestern springs. I'm not mad at it. Just an observation. :)

So, anyway, back to ice cream. I baked a batch of blueberry muffins specifically for the purpose of making this ice cream. I have to admit that I was a little dubious about what might happen to the muffins once they were submerged in a container of creamy vanilla ice cream. However, this ice cream is perfection. It's a perfect vanilla base plum full of blueberry muffin goodness.

Now that it's officially ice cream season, I'm thinking this needs to happen immediately. And definitely this. And probably this as well. Oh, and this. Stay tuned for lots of frozen goodness. :)

blueberry muffin ice cream

ingredients:
1 batch of your favorite blueberry muffins
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

directions:
Note: Prepare this recipe the day before you want it so it can freeze overnight! I suggest making a full batch of blueberry muffins even though you may only use four.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together softened cream cheese with salt and cinnamon until smooth.

In a large saucepan, whisk together milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract and corn syrup. Bring to a rolling boil. However, keep an eye on the mixture because it will boil over very quickly (trust me on this one).  Allow to boil for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 4 minutes, remove from heat and very slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture, adding 1/3 of it and whisking at a time. Place back over heat and bring to a rolling boil again, this time stirring with a spatula while the mixture just thickens slightly, roughly 1-2 minutes.

Remove from heat and very slowly pour a small amount into the large bowl that has the cream cheese in it, whisking constantly until smooth. Gradually pour the rest of the mixture into the bowl while whisking to combine. Grab another very large bowl and fill it halfway with ice cubes and cold water. Pour the milk mixture into a one gallon freezer ziplock bag, pushing the air out and sealing it. Place it in the ice bath for 30-45 minutes until cold, adding more ice if needed.

Pour the ice cream mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the directions. I used by Cuisinart ice cream maker and churned for approximately 25 minutes. Once done, crumble in four blueberry muffins and fold in with a spatula. Transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Yield: about one quart 

Source: How Sweet It Is