"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." (Maya Angelou) Never have words such as these been so timely, so timeless. In the wake of so many recent crimes against black humanity, I believe many of us are taking a step back, taking stock of our beliefs, our values, our understandings (or lack thereof), and our actions. Remaining silent has never been who I am, but as I have gotten older and hopefully a little wiser I have come to realize that a short period of silence can help bring clarity of thought. Especially if that time is used to read, listen, and reflect. What I have discovered in the past couple of weeks is that my knowledge gap is wider than I genuinely believed it to be. Which explains in part why I haven't yet added my voice to the collective voices calling for change. Real change, systemic change, meaningful change, uncomfortable change. As someone who once sought to be a change agent in the educational arena, hindsight has taught me change does not come without a significant shift in thinking, a willingness to confront the current reality with facts, accepting the risk of the unknown, and remaining committed especially when things get hard. I have always believed change is possible and I still do. And it seems, now more than ever, there are many who believe this too.
Between all of the angst created by the current pandemic and witnessing all of the distress happening across the country, it feels as if I have been riding on a kind of an emotional roller coaster. And neither running nor baking has lived up to the therapeutic value it used to have. Although I couldn't imagine what my life would be, where my spirit would be without either of them right now. Creating and having people gather around food has always been a source of great joy for me. If all of the world's problems could be solved around a table filled with some really good food, then one of my contributions might be this luscious Blueberry Mascarpone Ice Cream. Whether it or not it would be that powerful who knows. But it did get me back on the road to getting into my creative head space. And to resurrecting the ice cream machine I bought decades earlier!
Quite possibly this is the creamiest homemade ice cream I have ever tasted. From the richness of the ice cream, to the sweetness of the blueberry sauce, to the flavorful crunchiness of the Biscoff Cookies, this Blueberry Mascarpone Ice Cream is ice cream perfection. And dare I say it would rival even the boutique store-bought ice creams sold for nine dollars a pint? Yes, I absolutely dare.
Is it worth buying an ice cream machine for it you don't already own one? Yes it is. If you don't believe me, then at least borrow one from a friend. One taste of this mind blowing Blueberry Mascarpone Ice Cream and you will be convinced you need an ice cream machine in your life.
The Blueberry Mascarpone Ice Cream has three components: an ice cream base, a blueberry sauce, and coarsely crushed Biscoff cookies. A well chilled ice cream base and well chilled blueberry sauce are critical to making this ice cream. A chilled ice cream base helps to ensure your churned ice cream has the creamiest texture. While a chilled blueberry sauce won't melt the ice cream when the layers are assembled.
With blueberries coming into season, this is the absolute perfect time to make this Blueberry Mascarpone Ice Cream.
Create three layers of the ice cream, blueberry sauce and crusted Biscoff cookies when assembling to get the most evenly flavored, most beautiful scoops of ice cream.
I used a metal loaf pan to freeze the ice cream, but an insulated ice cream container would also work. If using a metal pan, be sure to wrap it well with plastic wrap to keep the ice cream from drying out or getting freezer burned.
The first time I had a Biscoff cookie was on a flight from Chicago to Denver. I was smitten with them in the first bite. If you have never tasted Biscoff cookies before, they are kind of like a gingerbread cookie but only better because of their deep caramel flavor. The spices in the Biscoff cookies add an incredible depth of flavor to the Blueberry Mascarpone Ice Cream while the cookie itself gives the ice cream a great textural element. Note: You could always use Graham Crackers instead of Biscoff Cookies if you can't find them.
Summer just got infinitely better. Heck, life just got a little bit better. All because of this Blueberry Mascarpone Ice Cream. If only everything in this world could be made better with everyone enjoying a scoop or two of a homemade ice cream. Now wouldn't that be wonderful?
Blueberry Mascarpone Ice Cream
Ingredients
Blueberry Sauce
2 cups (7 ounces, 200 g) fresh blueberries
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of Kosher salt
Mascarpone Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces (227 g) mascarpone cheese
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of Kosher salt
8 Biscoff Cookies (2 1/4 ounces/64 g), coarsely crushed
Directions
Blueberry Sauce
1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, add in the blueberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice and pinch of Kosher salt.
2. Stirring regularly, cook until the mixture reaches a slightly thicken consistency (about 5-6 minutes).
3. Remove from heat and pour the blueberry sauce into a small bowl. Let cool before chilling in the refrigerator. Note: Blueberry Sauce should be completely chilled before layering onto the ice cream.
Mascarpone Ice Cream
1. In a medium size bowl, use a handheld mixer to beat together the granulated sugar and egg yolks until they are pale yellow, fluffy, and creamy (about 2 minutes). Set aside.
2. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the milk (only) to a simmer.
3. Add about a quarter cup of the hot milk to the egg mixture. Whisk until smooth. Slowly add half of the remaining hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking until smooth. Pour the egg/milk mixture back into the saucepan. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until the mixture thickens slightly (whisking constantly). Do not let the mixture come to a boil.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, vanilla, and Kosher salt.
5. Pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Note: The mixture should be well chilled before poured into an ice cream maker.
6. Line an 8" x 4" or 8" x 5" metal baking pan with plastic wrap. Set aside.
7. Pour the chilled mixture into the ice cream maker. Process until the ice cream is thick, scoopable, and well chilled (approximately 20-25 minutes according to most manufacturer directions). Note: Think achieving the consistency of a frozen yogurt when you are churning the ice cream.
8. Spread one-third of the ice cream into the prepared pan.
9. Top one-third of the blueberry sauce on top of the ice cream base layer. Use a butter knife to gently swirl the blueberry sauce into the ice cream.
10. Top the bottom ice cream/blueberry sauce layer with one-third of the coarsely crushed Biscoff cookies.
11. Repeat for a total of three layers.
12. Wrap the pan with plastic wrap (wrap well to keep air from getting to the ice cream) and place pan in the freezer overnight.
13. Remove ice cream from the refrigerator and scoop into bowls or onto an ice cream cone.
Notes: (1) Use only whole milk. If possible use both organic milk and organic whipping cream. Do not use ultra-pasteurized milk. (2) Instead of Biscoff cookies, could use graham crackers, although the Biscoff cookies are incredibly flavorful. (3) Instead of a Blueberry Sauce to layer and swirl into the ice cream, make a Strawberry or Raspberry Sauce.