Bourbon Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream
This bourbon cherry cheesecake ice cream recipe has a bourbon cherry reduction, a rich and ultra creamy cheesecake ice cream base and is topped with a brown butter graham cracker crumble.
Servings: 1 quart
Calories: 652kcal
Ingredients
Bourbon Cherry Reduction
- 1 pound Bing cherries pitted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large lemon juiced, strained for pits
- 2–3 tablespoons bourbon
Cheesecake Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 large egg yolks
- 8 ounce cream cheese cut into small pieces, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Graham Cracker Crumble
- ⅓ stick unsalted butter
- 4 sheets graham cracker broken into small pieces
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar packed
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Make Bourbon Cherry Reduction
- In a large saucepan, combine the first 3 ingredients. Bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat.
- Gently cook until the mixture is thick and syrupy, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the bourbon, then let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make Cheesecake Ice Cream
- In a small pot, simmer cream, sugar and salt until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks.
- Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream.
- Return pot to medium-low heat, add vanilla, and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).
- Add in cream cheese pieces and whisk until smooth.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, using a spatula to press mixture through sieve.
- Cool mixture to room temperature.
- Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Pour ½ ice cream into a loaf pan, add bourbon cherry reduction in dollops (I like to scoop them up with a fork, so most of the liquid remains and you just get those juicy, bourbon cherries), swirl with a butter knife; repeat with remaining ice cream and cherries.
- Place in freezer for at least 4 hours to firm up.
Make Graham Cracker Topping
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter 5-7 minutes till golden brown.
- Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix graham crackers, brown sugar, and salt.
- Add browned butter and mix until evenly coated.
- Allow to cool before using.
- Scoop ice cream and top with graham cracker crumble and extra bourbon cherry reduction, if desired.
Notes
- Store ice cream in freezer until needed, keeping graham cracker crumble stored separately in an airtight container in the fridge
- Store extra cherry reduction in a separate container in the fridge for up to 7 days
- Chilled ice cream base can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Store in fridge until ready to churn
- Fresh cherries may be substituted for frozen cherries, cherry pie filling or cherry jam
- Ice Cream recipe adapted by NYTimes.com The Master Ice Cream Recipe
Nutrition
Calories: 652kcal | Carbohydrates: 68.6g | Protein: 8.5g | Fat: 38.6g | Saturated Fat: 21.7g | Cholesterol: 281.3mg | Sodium: 722.3mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 50.4g
