Chillin’ Out

I grew up on a farm named Direenfinhilid, a Gaelic word roughly meaning “pretty little oak grove.” And in fact, the house my parents built was surrounded by oaks ranging from 50 to 150 years old. Behind the house was a field belonging to someone else that hadn’t been maintained, as a result it had become a solid acre of wild blackberry bushes — blackberries that ripened mid-summer.

Every year my father would organize three or four berry-picking expeditions, out-fitting us with empty paint cans to collect the berries in. Each expedition would last until we were sated on berries and stained blue, our hands and arms were covered with scratches (despite long pants and long-sleeved shirts), and our complaints about the heat finally exceeded Dad’s desire for more berries. Then we’d make our way back to the house where we’d sort the berries from the twigs and leaves that also ended up in the buckets.

Back in those halcyon days ice cream was easy for adults to make when they had kids to do the cranking.

Dad or Mom would make a blackberry cobbler that night and they’d freeze the rest of the berries. Often the end of the berry season would coincide with the first of the peach season and we’d have a blackberry/peach cobbler — a pairing made in heaven. But one thing I don’t recall eating as a child is blackberry ice cream.

We certainly made ice cream throughout the summer. Back in those halcyon days ice cream was easy for adults to make when they had kids to do the cranking — childless couples didn’t eat homemade ice cream back then, too much work. I recall peach ice cream (a favorite of mine), strawberry ice cream, chocolate and vanilla for sure, and lemon (not a favorite of mine), but I don’t recall blackberry ice cream. So, although my first thought was “cobbler” when I saw blackberries at the farmers’ market, my second was ice cream.

I’m not actually an ice cream fan, but thanks to Dave Lebovitz pointing to a sale at Amazon a few weeks back I now own a Cusinart ice cream maker and I’m exploring it. So blackberry ice cream seemed like a great idea. Turns out, it was.

Blackberry Ice Cream
Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

1 pint (12 oz.) blackberries
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup milk
2 cups half-and-half
4 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat milk, half-and-half, and 1/3 cup sugar in a 1 qt. sauce pan over medium heat until almost simmering (175F) stirring frequently. (A few bubbles begin to appear.)

In the meantime: Puree the berries and strain through a fine-mesh sieve, stirring and pressing with a spoon to eliminate seeds, then whisk egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and cardamom in a medium bowl.

When milk is hot, slowly pour half into egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Then whisk milk and egg mixture into remaining milk. Heat over medium-low heat until almost simmering (175F). At this point a few bubbles begin to appear and the mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon.

Pour custard (milk and egg mixture) through a sieve into a clean bowl and cool to room temperature. Add berry puree and chill for four hours.

Churn according the ice cream-maker directions, then scoop into a plastic container and freeze for another 2 – 4 hours before serving.

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