Homemade Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate mixed in the middle is a great reminder of my childhood living near Steve's Ice Cream Shop in Rhode Island.
When I was a teenager growing up in Rhode Island, my weekends started with Thayer Street. All the little shops and bookstores lined the street, and I would go with my friends to shop and laugh, and just hang out. When we got to the corner, there it was, Steve’s Ice Cream Shop, where they would mix the ice cream together with all different toppings, and the only flavor of ice cream that I can remember was Vanilla Ice Cream.
The great thing about this ice cream shop was the toppings that they mix together, and then you would customize your vanilla ice cream. I would watch them mix my chocolate chunks and then the chopped sweet cherries, with my favorite nut, pistachio.
Today we can buy mixed ice cream, but it's so expensive! So I decided, what better way than to make my own and put my favorite flavors for half the cost of what is on the market. Let's get started with the homemade ice cream that I make with my Cuisinart ice cream maker, which is my favorite appliance.
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
The first thing is making the vanilla ice cream, and then the assembly of the ice cream.
Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar, I used honey
3 vanilla bean pods
Pinch of salt
Mix
1 cup fresh cherries or frozen cherries
½ cup chocolate bar, chopped
Optional: cup chopped pistachios or any other desired tree nuts.
Prepare the Ice Cream Base
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Whisk together the milk mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Chill the Mixture
- For best results, cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 to 2 hours, or overnight. This helps the mixture cool down and helps to create a creamy texture
Churn Ice Cream
- Pour the ice cream mixture into the bowl of your Cuisinart ice cream machine.
- Turn on the machine and churn the mixture according to the manufacturer's instructions. This typically takes about 20-25 minutes until it reaches a smooth texture.
Freezing Process
- Transfer your churned ice cream into a freezer-safe airtight container.
- Smoothing the top with a spatula with one layer then add in chopped pistachios, chopped cherries, chopped chocolate in between each layer of ice cream, repeat step till all the ice cream is done.
- The ice cream is soft at this time, so freeze it for at least four hours. When ready to serve, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes for the perfect scoop!
Serve and Enjoy
- With an ice cream scoop, place the ice cream into an ice cream bowl with your favorite toppings or an ice cream cone!
Some Items For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my Amazon Storefronts or buy some items for this recipe.
Don't have an Ice Cream Machine?
Before I had an ice cream maker, I would buy Publix Premium Classic Vanilla Ice Cream to start. Yes, it's my favorite, and I have tried every one of them, from expensive to cheap vanilla ice cream that is out there. For me, nothing else will do.
- Get your pint of ice cream and peel the paper back.
- Get your container ready with a lid that closes tightly.
- Slice the ice cream so it will be able to fit into the container.
- Sprinkle the mix on top of the ice cream layer.
- Repeat the process of laying and topping with the mix until done
- Press the ice cream down and close tightly with a lid.
More Ice Cream Recipes
Ice cream is a family favorite around here and a delicious treat for a hot summer day. This is by far my favorite, and a childhood favorite from living in Rhode Island. Hope you enjoyed our journey in the American heartland today. Until next time my beautiful friends as my quest for the perfect bite continues. As they say in America, "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!"
Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream from Rhode Island
Equipment
- 1 Cusiinart Ice Cream Machine
Ingredients
Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar I used honey
- 3 vanilla bean
Pinch of salt
Mix
- 1 cup fresh cherries or frozen cherries
- ½ cup chocolate bar chopped
- Optional: ½ cup chopped pistachios or any other desired tree nuts.
Instructions
Prepare the Ice Cream Base
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Whisk together the milk mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Chill the Mixture
- For best results, cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 to 2 hours, or overnight. This helps the mixture cool down and helps to create a creamy texture
Churn Ice Cream
- Pour the ice cream mixture into the bowl of your Cuisinart ice cream machine.
- Turn on the machine and churn the mixture according to the manufacturer's instructions. This typically takes about 20-25 minutes until it reaches a smooth texture.
Freezing Process
- Transfer your churned ice cream into a freezer-safe airtight container.
- Smoothing the top with a spatula with one layer then add in chopped pistachios, chopped cherries, chopped chocolate in between each layer of ice cream, repeat step till all the ice cream is done.
- The ice cream is soft at this time, so freeze it for at least four hours. When ready to serve, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes for the perfect scoop! Enjoy!
Notes
Don't have an Ice Cream Machine?
Before I had an ice cream maker, I would buy Publix Premium Classic Vanilla Ice Cream to start.- Get your pint of ice cream and peel the paper back.
- Get your container ready with a lid that closes tightly.
- Slice the ice cream so it will be able to fit into the container.
- Sprinkle the mix on top of the ice cream layer.
- Repeat the process of laying and topping with the mix until done
- Press the ice cream down and close tightly with a lid.
Lizzy says
My favorite ice cream this summer