Ice cream recipe

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
(ourbestbites.com)

• 2-3 c. fresh blueberries (or frozen works too)
• 1/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1/4 c. water
• 2 c. sugar
• 6 oz. light cream cheese, softened
• 4 egg yolks
• 3 c. 2% milk
• 1 c. half and half
• Optional: 1 prepared graham cracker crust

1. In a small saucepan, combine blueberries, powdered sugar, and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes and then remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
2. In a large saucepan, combine milk and half and half (or cream and whole milk if you're taking that route). Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.
   
   While milk is heating, combine cream cheese, egg yolks, and sugar in a bowl and mix well.
3. After you have removed milk mixture from heat, very slowly pour half of the milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture while the beater is running. This is called tempering the eggs, meaning that you're slowly acclimating them to heat so you can cook them without them curdling. Mix the egg mixture well and then add the tempered egg mixture back into the hot milk mixture. Over medium-low heat and stirring very often, cook to 160 degrees (use a candy thermometer; 160 degrees is considered safe for most animal products, eggs included). Remove from heat.
4. Allow to cool to a touchable temperature and then add those gorgeous blueberries and all of the liquid with them.
5. Combine completely and put in the fridge for several hours until well chilled. Because this ice cream is a little more labor intensive that most, I make it up to this step one or even 2 days ahead of time. That way when you're ready to freeze it, it's well chilled and will be ready faster!
   
   Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. After churning it will be like soft-serve. Place in an air-tight container in the freezer to let it set up.

We enjoyed this ice cream, and it froze well even though the kitchen-aid ice cream maker we use couldn't get it very frozen so I was worried when I put the smoothie-like consistency into the freezer, it all turned out well. That could have been due to not letting the mixture get cold enough in the fridge before freezing it. Anyway, next time I would add the graham crust or cheesecake pieces, but the taste was very decadent!