Cheesecake Ice Cream

If you're like me, you could probably eat a tub of that store-bought "cheesecake filling" - don't be ashamed. Cheesecake is one of those beautiful things, it's like rolling around in satin sheets, it's soft, it's velvety, and it's cold.

One of my guilty pleasures is Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. One of their seasonal flavors is Pumpkin Cheesecake, and oh man... It was overload for me, and from that day, nothing says Fall/Autumn to me like a B&J's Pumpkin Cheesecake milkshake.

Once I discovered that cheesecake & ice cream could be combined into this beautiful harmony joyride, I began experimenting with ways to do it. Here is the recipe I settled upon.

Cheesecake Ice Cream

* Now to make this, there are two components, a regular vanilla ice cream base, and the cheesecake filling. If you want regular vanilla ice cream, just omit the cheesecake filling, but this is the basic 'custard' that you start with to make most ice creams. Be creative!

Ice Cream base

Egg yolks - 6
Sugar - 12 oz
Milk - 1 ½ pints
Heavy cream - ½ pint
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
Salt - pinch

Method:

1. Whip egg yolks and sugar together until pale yellow, and smooth.

2. Scald milk, and beat into the egg/sugar mixture (#1)

3. Heat over a double boiler until thickened (2x the original volume)

4. Remove from heat and stir in cold cream, salt & vanilla. Chill thoroughly.

Cheesecake Filling

Cream cheese - 2 lb
Sugar - 7 oz
Orange zest - 2 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 ½ oz

Method:

1. In a mixer (or by hand, with a whisk) mix together all ingredients until it is smooth.

2. Add cheesecake filling into custard, chill & freeze in your standard ice cream machine.

Now some of you will have to go purchase an ice cream machine in order to make this, but I suggest you do so. It is super simple to make at home, and you control all of the ingredients going into it.

Copyright 2010, Brian Griess, All rights reserved