Mint Chip Ice Cream with Blackberry Swirl

Looking at the prospect of a Phoenix summer without swimming pools, air conditioned restaurants, or air conditioned visits to other's homes, I decided there could be only one solution - I've officially declared it ICE CREAM SUMMER in our home.  I've obtained an ice cream maker and sworn off turning on the oven for at least three months.  Ice cream flavors, it turns out, are incredibly fun to play with, and quality ice cream takes considerable less effort than say, pie.  Why did I ever make pie?


I got simultaneously excited by the idea of blackberry and mint paired together, and by recreating a blackberry chip ice cream I had at an ice cream shop one during winter in Boston (searching for summer).  I pulled from the two recipes linked below and made some adjustments. The result is an incredibly fresh and light mint flavor, with just a hint of brightness from the blackberry.

Sources:

https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/fresh-mint-chip-ice-cream-recipe/
https://www.mercurynews.com/2014/06/12/recipe-blackberry-mint-ice-cream/
https://thetaste.ie/wp/blackberry-mint-ice-cream-recipe-from-handmade-gatherings-cookbook/

Ingredients: 
Ice Cream Base

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1½ tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot)
2 cups 1/2 & 1/2
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups fresh mint leaves

OR 1/4 cup mint leaves, 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
4 oz dark chocolate, from a bar, chopped.

Blackberry Swirl

 6 oz fresh blackberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot

Directions: 

Ice Cream Base: 

1. Whisk sugar and eggs together in a large bowl until mixture thickens. Add cornstarch and whisk until incorporated. Set aside.
2. Warm 1/2 & 1/2 in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When it just begins to simmer, turn off heat.  Temper the eggs by slowly & carefully whisking hot 1/2 & 1/2 into the egg and sugar mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring continually, until the mixture thickens enough to cling to the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat. Strain custard through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Set aside to cool for at least an hour.
3. Stir in the heavy cream, fresh mint, and mint extract (if using). Cover bowl with a clean towel or plate and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight). Whisk the chilled mixture, then strain off the fresh mint and either discard or compost it. For additional mint flavor, finely chop another 1/4 cup of mint and add to custard mixture.

Blackberry Puree: 

4. Combine blackberries and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for five to ten minutes, stirring and mashing berries while cooking to help release their juices. Once they've broken down, add the cornstarch, stirring well to combine. Remove from heat. Strain mixture through a mesh strainer into a clean bowl, pressing the berries through strainer with wooden spoon. Discard the solid blackberry seeds that remain or keep for use as a rough jam. Cover the blackberry puree and chill in the refrigerator until cool alongside base.

Ice Cream:

4. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. Freeze it according to your machine’s instructions, adding the chopped chocolate once it begins to firm up, 15 to 20 minutes into processing time. Once ice cream is thickened according to instructions, transfer to container.  As you transfer, drizzle puree into ice cream to create swirl.  Add ice cream to container, then puree, and continue until you've used all of both.  Refrain from stirring or puree will mix thoroughly into ice cream mixture. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.