Even though math and science have always been my strong suits, I am horrible at estimating. You would think that the more I cook and bake the better I might be at it – not true. When I bought the blueberries to make blueberry pie, I knew I needed 4 cups. However, I had no idea how many cups are in a pint (2, for anyone else who is clueless). So, thanks to my inability to visually size things up, I ended up buying 4 pints – two times the amount of berries I actually needed. Thank goodness they were on sale! It wasn’t hard to decide what to do with the extras. One pint went directly into my mouth and the other was used to make this ice cream. This is a really nice, light ice cream. The flavor of the blueberries really shines through, accompanied by a creamy undertone. And the gorgeous purple color – that alone is reason enough to make this ice cream! (An added bonus – it turns your tongue that color too :-P )
Blueberry Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh blueberries
¾ cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup half and half
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. vodka (optional)
Directions:
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the blueberries, water and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let sit for 30 minutes to steep.
Transfer the blueberry mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Strain through a fine mesh sieve (if desired) and into a bowl. Stir in the vodka. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
Add the cream and lemon juice to the blueberry puree and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container, cover and freeze until firm. Makes about 1 quart.
Source: adapted from Half Baked
