Homemade Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Ice Cream

During a long weekend at the beach with my family earlier this year we visited an Amish creamery with an awesome selection of homemade ice cream. We all ordered different flavors to try, and while they were all delicious one in particular stood out: blueberry cheesecake.



I don't generally buy into the "strange" combinations (I love classic flavors, and I usually dislike cheesecake) but I was immediately drawn to the colorful, summery goodness. One taste and I was hooked; I wanted to visit the creamery again the next day, and months later I was still dreaming about this satisfying treat.



Naturally, I decided to make my own.

Graham Cracker Crust
1/3 c graham crumbs
1T sugar
1.5T butter

Press the mixture into a spring-form pan (I used these cute minis- thank you for the Christmas present 'Tanette!) and pre-bake at 325 for 7 minutes.

Cheesecake Filling
8oz whipped cream cheese
1/4c sugar
1/2tsp lemon juice
few drops vanilla
1 egg

Combine until smooth and spoon evenly into the pre-baked crusts. Continue to bake at 325 for roughly 25 minutes and allow to cool.






My favorite vanilla ice cream recipe is 2c heavy cream, 1c whole milk, 3/4c white sugar and 1T good vanilla extract. It requires no cooking, so it is very easy in a time crunch and tastes great; I love to make it when I have company for dessert because it is scoop-able directly from the freezer due to the high fat content. However, this staple recipe does not hold up as well as traditional custards when faced with mix-ins.

Custard Recipe
3 egg yolks
3/4c white sugar
1c whole milk
2c heavy cream
1T vanilla extract









Keep the heat very low while the custard thickens! If the mixture boils the egg will cook and separate... yuck. Patience :)


I tried to snap a photo of the thickened custard, but lighting wasn't quite right... It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and maintain form. Cool the custard and freeze according to your ice cream machine's instructions.


Blueberry Swirl
1c fresh blueberries
2T water
1T sugar

Cover and slowly cook the blueberries down into a thick syrup. Mash!


Roughly break up the cooled cheesecakes. Gently fold the pieces and cooled blueberry syrup into the frozen custard; freeze and enjoy!

Ice cream, truffles, and french macarons oh my!

Hello all! I haven't been able to post for awhile, so all of these yummy confections are from Christmastime at my parent's house. I had a fantastic time baking in my mother's five star kitchen!

A couple of years ago, I was fortunate enough to visit Paris on a school trip. A friend (and resident of Paris!) Annabelle introduced me to heaven in edible form: French Macarons. My mission? Making some of my own! I decided to make raspberry and dark chocolate macarons- my dad helped me by making some fresh raspberry puree, which definitely added to the overall product. I included raspberry puree in both the shells and the dark chocolate ganache filling, so the freshness of the raspberries certainly shone through!

Above, I have the shells of my macarons in resting stage (pre-baking) and also some peppermint bark that I whipped up while waiting.








While the shells cooled, I prepared a chocolate ganache from Ghiradelli dark chocolate, a little cream, grand marnier, and of course raspberry puree! The final product was beautiful (and tasty!).





I had a great time plating :)











These next three photos show the versatility of vanilla ice cream. My vanilla ice cream is a simple recipe that never fails, the ingredients including only heavy cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla (in top secret ratios!) While I love ice creams made with custard, one doesn't always have the time to slave over the stove, hoping and praying that their saucepan should not decide to boil and ruin their creation. Also, this recipe is simple and delicious, and all the time you save by choosing the simpler route allows you to come up with some scrumptious toppings!
(this recipe also holds up well to other flavors. currently in my freezer? Guava, coconut, and mint chocolate chip!)


This is a somewhat healthier option that I make for myself sometimes in the evenings. I saute a couple of apples with a small amount of butter, some cinnamon, raisins, and pecans. Lots of textures, and a tasty ice cream topping!


Balsamic vinegar, fresh strawberries, and homemade vanilla ice cream. It may sound like a strange combination, but they complement each other beautifully! Just add a few tablespoons of good quality balsamic vinegar on freshly sliced strawberries and a bit of sugar. Let them sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to get an extra vinegar kick! The the strawberries start to break down with the sugar, and the juice combines with the vinegar to make a delicious syrup. A great quick dessert option if you are entertaining!



Extra bananas? Bananas foster! Brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, dark rum, and banana liqueur are a great way to kick up vanilla ice cream.


This is one of my favorite kitchen accessories- my Le Creuset dijon skillet. I've used it for everything from bananas foster, chocolate sauce, butterscotch, and simple syrup to fried fish, lemon chicken, chapattis and curries. It is slightly coated, so I don't have to worry about imparting any funky flavors in my desserts :)







One of my favorite things to make? Chocolate truffles. I've tried a plethora of flavors, both white and dark chocolate. They may be time consuming, but I find the combination of aromas and repetition very therapeutic. These have a white chocolate chambord ganache with pecans and godiva white chocolate liqueur within a hard dark chocolate shell. Decorated with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and topped with either a white or dark chocolate circle.


These have a dark chocolate grand marnier ganache with godiva chocolate and godiva capuccino liqueur. Delicious!