Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.  It’s a common expression.  And honestly I like to think of myself as a lemonade type of gal. Through life’s ups and downs, even the big downs, I try my best to look ahead and hold on to the sweetness in life.  Although this past year has been filled with many ups, it is fair to say that there have been some downs.  I often joke that ice cream keeps me happy, but in a way it actually does.  Ice cream, as well as food in general, is one of my passions.  Focusing on a passion has brought joy to my life when it is otherwise hard to find joy.  Everyone should find their passion.  When your passion is food it is a little easier to make something sweet in life, whether it be lemonade or ice cream.

This summer, life handed me cherries so I decided to make Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream.  I had an ulterior motive when I posted my recipe for The Best Vanilla Bean Ice Cream last week.  Although it is essential to have a good vanilla ice cream recipe under your belt, it also makes a great base for fruit-swirled ice creams.  My cherry vanilla ice cream has sweet ruby ribbons of roasted cherries swirled into every bite of creamy vanilla ice cream.  What is not love? Enjoy.

Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream
Makes 1 quart

Follow directions to make The Best Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.  Make roasted cherries (see below) and chill completely.  Churn your vanilla ice cream base.  In a large freezer-safe container, spoon a layer of roasted cherries onto the bottom.  Follow with a layer of vanilla bean ice cream and alternate layers until your container is full.  The smaller the layers, the more swirl will be in your ice cream.  Top with a little extra cherry sauce. Transfer container to the freezer and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Roasted cherries
From Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home

2 cups pitted fresh or frozen sweet cherries
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the cherries, sugar, and cornstarch in a 9-inch square baking dish, and toss to coat. Roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until the juices are thickened and bubbly, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool at room temperature then chill completely in the refrigerator before adding to ice cream.