Blackberry Ice Cream with Amaretto

Summer, berries and ice cream are synonymous. It is time to immerse in to this silky smooth and blushing ice cream with a hint of Amaretto. Nothing else speaks summer more than a freshly made berry ice cream.

If you all are wondering… I am still alive and kicking 🙂 A month of the summer vacation already went by and I am wondering how and when.

Now, days start off late and I am so thankful for that. As we were approaching the beginning of the summer, this is all I had in mind. My sleepy arms will not have to smack down on the alarm clock in the wee hours of the morning. At least for a few weeks, I will not have to crawl out of the bed with my eyes half shut and make my coffee when it is still pitch dark outside.even before the sun peeks up the far horizon. I have removed the long timed schedule which hangs on my refrigerator – it was constant reminder of a million things to do and more places to go and all that is put on hold.

the simple pleasures of summer time….

The days opens up slowly and then picks up pace. There are no routine or tight schedules, no rush.

Isn’t this what I had been waiting for? There is not much time to think with my two precious girls at home. Play dates, library, strolling in the stores selecting watermelons, berries and all the summer time beauties, puzzles, movies and silly laughter.. are all part of the days.

And a vacation! We went on a road trip to Colorado and I will post photographs, but not now.

I hope you love blackberries as much as we do. For some strange reason we all have taken more to blackberries and also raspberries this year. I remember getting home loads of strawberries and blueberries in the past years, but this time we changed our preferences. I cannot say how much of these luscious berries we have been having, every single day, fistful and bowlful of them.

One carton after another disappeared in no time. Then I decided I need to make the ice cream I had contemplated making even before the blackberries arrived in the stores this year. An ice cream with a hue that catches attention right away and not easily forgotten. What begins as a pale lavender, slowly deepens as it sets, getting richer everyday.

The fantastic color entices me and I just wanted to see it happen… how the macerated berries slowly turn the cream into a beautiful shade of summer.

I never make thick custard ice creams; so no eggs here. The ingredients are simple – cream, berries, sugar and amaretto if you want the flavor or use any other flavoring agent. It does not take too long if you have an ice cream maker. The girls went ecstatic to see the popsicle mould fill up with the hand written sticks.

(Here is the photograph in Flickr where I got the inspiration for the text on the sticks)

Blackberry Ice Cream with Amaretto

 

Ingredients: (makes about 2 quarts)

1. 4 – 5 cups (packed) of blackberries
2. 1 cup + 1/4  cup sugar (or to taste)
3. 2 teaspoon lemon juice
4. 2 tablespoon lemon or orange zest (optional)
5. 500 ml heavy cream/double cream or part half and half and part heavy/double cream
   
6. 3-4 tablespoon Amaretto {liqueur} (skip this if you do not want to use alcohol and add a teaspoon more almond extract)
7. 1 teaspoon pure almond extract (for stronger flavor if you are already using the Amaretto and a must if you are not using the Amaretto)

 

 

Method:

Take one cup of sugar, zest  and lemon juice and combine sugar with the berries in a non reactive bowl. Toss them well or cover the bowl and gently shake it up. Simmer them over the stove for only about 3-5 minutes. Cover and allow the berries to macerate for about an hour or more. The berries should be completely cooled.

Blend the rest of the sugar with the cream.

Mash up some of the berries with the back of the spoon or a potato masher. This will release more juice and will finally add color to the ice cream. Keep in mind though that most of the berries will be only partially broken and you will get to have bites of the berries when the ice cream is done.

Note here that I have included the seeds of the berries too. If you do not want the seeds of the blackberries, you will have to squish out the berries and remove the seeds by passing the pulp of the berries through a sieve. In this case, the texture of the ice cream will slightly change.

Chill the berries and the cream. When ready to make, combine cream and macerated berries and follow instructions of the ice cream maker; process for as long as your ice cream needs to make ice cream. When the ice cream is almost done, add the Amaretto and the almond extract. The alcohol also helps reduce ice crystals from forming in the ice cream.

If your ice cream maker makes soft serve ice cream like mine does, you will need to freeze the ice cream until you have the desired consistency. Freeze in a single container or in popsicle makers (I had to do some of it as ice cream pops for the kids!).

 

If you do not have an ice cream maker:

Follow the same process as above in processing the berries. Blend/whip the cream until it is frothy and airy and starts to thicken. Combine the berries with the cream and the amaretto and almond extract and freeze. Every couple of hours break the ice cream up with a hand blender or by cranking your arms (whip the ice cream till your arms are sore). Do freezing and whipping about 3-4 times to achieve the soft whipped crystal free consistency.

 

Cooking/Making Time: 1 hour
Difficulty Level: Easy
Serves/Makes: 2 quarts

 

 

 

Related Posts:

Mango and Cream/Mango Fool

Mango Ice Cream

Blueberry Gelato

Strawberry Mint and Almond Ice Cream

Vegan Ice Cream: Coconut, Cherry & Almond

Pomegranate & Mint Frozen Yogurt