Buckeye Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream

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On holidays and celebration days, our family likes to pull out all the stops. And by pull out all the stops,   I mean bake all the decadent things. We made this peanut buttery, chocolatey, blueberry-y dairy delight to accompany our dad's requested flourless chocolate cake on Father's Day.

Things our dad likes: Reese's, blueberries, intense chocolate cake, airplanes, us (not necessarily in that order). They all come together in this ridonkulously indulgent dessert (except the airplanes, for obvious reasons, although he did receive a model airplane as a gift just before dessert was served, so we got that covered too - done, done, done, and done).

I know this ice cream was made in my father's honor, not mine, but I. Am. Obsessed. Lick-the-ice-cream-machine-clean-with-my-tongue obsessed. Getting-ice-cream-in-my-hair-because-I-am-too-busy-spooning-it-into-my-mouth-to-care obsessed. Daydreaming-about-it-while-at-work-in-a-froyo-shop obsessed. Forgoing-samples-of-peanut-butter-froyo-while-at-said-workplace-because-they-don't-compare obsessed.

Guys, this is serious.

It is serious that you understand how mind-blowingly amazing this ice cream is. Picture the best peanut butter ice cream you've ever tasted. Now add pinch of fairy dust, a spoonful of nirvana, and a dash of ambrosia. Then double how delicious you would expect that to be. And you might be close to how good this stuff is. Maybe. 

But really, I don't think anything could prepare you for that first bite. You'll just have to make it and find out for yourself how this is the peanut butteriest, creamiest, richest peanut butter ice cream your tastebuds have ever had the privilege of encountering. (And I've tried a lot of different peanut butter ice creams in my time; I'm a peanut butter fiend, after all. #can'tstopwon'tstop) My mom compared it to eating frozen peanut butter fudge. That should tell you something. I compared it to eating a ice cream-ized version of the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich you've ever had plus chocolate. That should also tell you something.

For me and this ice cream, it was love at first bite. This ice cream fills me with the exuberant, shout-it-from-the-rooftops ridiculous kind of love unique to the climactic scenes of romantic comedies. I am John Cusak with a boombox raised over my head for this ice cream. I am Richard Gere climbing the fire escape despite my acrophobia for this ice cream. This is cream is worth facing fears for. This ice cream is worth looking silly for.

But don't take my word for it! Go make it for yourself. Like, now.

Infatuatedly yours,

Molly

Buckeye Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream

Ice Cream

From Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

2 cups whole milk

1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch

3 tbsp cream cheese, softened 

1/2 cup unsalted natural peanut butter

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1 1/4 heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp light corn syrup

2 tbsp honey

4 ounces chocolate (55% or darker), chopped

Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. Whisk the cream cheese, peanut butter, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, corn syrup, and honey in a 4-quart saucepan, ring to a roiling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese mixture until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.

Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister and begin to to spin the ice cream. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Remove from the heat and let cool until tepid but still fluid. WHen the ice cream is thick and creamy and almost finished, drizzle the melted chocolate slowly through the opening in the top of the ice cream machine and allow it to solidify and break up in the ice cream for about 2 minutes. 

Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface*, and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

*Do this. I don't know what exactly it does, but it keeps the ice cream that perfect degree of softness that store-bought is when you first open it, even after several days.

Blueberry Swirl

Adapted from Shutterbean

1 cup blueberries

1/8 cup sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Cook blueberries and sugar in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, thoroughly crushing blueberries with a potato masher, until juices are released and sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.

Stir together lemon juice and cornstarch, then stir into blueberry mixture. Boil, stirring, 1 minute (mixture will thicken).

Transfer blueberry compote to a bowl and chill until cold, about 1 hour.

To finish: When ice cream has finished freezing, transfer to a storage container. Pour blueberry compote over the top and swirl it in. Cover with parchment paper before storing.