Chamomile Blackberry Ice Cream

Sweet blackberry compote is swirled through chamomile-infused cream. An herbal berry ice cream with notes of honey and vanilla.

Directions

PRE-FREEZE ice cream maker bowl according to manufacturer’s instructions.
CHILL a metal loaf pan in freezer until needed.

BLACKBERRY SAUCE
WHISK TOGETHER sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
SET ASIDE cornstarch mixture.
PLACE blackberries into a small saucepan.
ADD lemon juice.
ADD cornstarch mixture.
STIR to combine ingredients.
COOK blackberry mixture over medium-low heat WHILE STIRRING occasionally until blackberries have broken down and sauce is thick and bubbly, about 10-12 minutes.
ALLOW blackberry mixture to cool slightly.
TRANSFER blackberry mixture a blender or food processor.
PUREE blackberry mixture until smooth.
PRESS blackberry sauce through a fine mesh sieve and DISCARD seeds.
CHILL blackberry sauce in refrigerator until needed.

CHAMOMILE ICE CREAM
WHISK 3 tablespoons milk with cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth.
SET ASIDE cornstarch mixture.
PLACE cream cheese in a medium bowl.
SET ASIDE cream cheese.
PLACE remaining 3 cups milk into a medium saucepan.
ADD cream, sugar, honey, and salt.
BOIL milk mixture over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes WHILE STIRRING constantly.
REMOVE milk mixture from heat.
STIR IN dried chamomile.
COVER milk mixture with lid.
ALLOW milk mixture to steep for 20 minutes.
STRAIN infused milk mixture through a fine mesh strainer lined with a cheesecloth and SQUEEZE cheesecloth firmly to recover all the liquid.
RETURN infused milk mixture to saucepan.
WHISK cornstarch slurry again until smooth.
WHISK cornstarch slurry into infused milk mixture.
COOK infused milk mixture over medium-high heat WHILE STIRRING constantly until mixture lightly coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 1-2 minutes.
REMOVE infused milk mixture from heat.
POUR ⅓ cup infused milk mixture over cream cheese.
STIR cream cheese mixture until smooth.
POUR cream cheese mixture back into saucepan.
WHISK ice cream base until completely smooth.
STIR IN vanilla and vodka (if using).
CHILL ice cream base over ice bath for 30 minutes or CHILL in refrigerator 2-4 hours.
POUR ice cream base into bowl of ice cream maker.
CHURN ice cream until frozen according to manufacturer’s instructions.
REMOVE loaf pan from freezer.
REMOVE blackberry sauce from refrigerator.
SPREAD ¼ of ice cream evenly into loaf pan.
DOLLOP ¼ of blackberry sauce in several places over ice cream.
SWIRL blackberry sauce gently into ice cream using a chopstick or butter knife.
SPREAD another ¼ of ice cream evenly into loaf pan.
DOLLOP another ¼ of blackberry sauce in several places over ice cream.
SWIRL blackberry sauce gently into ice cream using a chopstick or butter knife.
REPEAT steps until all blackberry sauce has been swirled into layers of ice cream.
COVER loaf pan tightly with plastic wrap.
CHILL loaf pan in freezer 4 hours or overnight.
ALLOW ice cream to rest at room temperature 5-10 minutes before serving.

Pro Tip:
Adding a small amount of vodka creates a slightly softer ice cream that’s easier to scoop. Vodka is undetectable in finished ice cream.