Blackberry Creme Fraiche Dark Chocolate Chunk

Last week I hit a bit of a block in deciding on a new flavor. We always keep a list of ideas, and often times we move things around and re-arrange as personal desire and seasonal availability direct their influence on our choices.  But I could just not make up my mind.

Blackberry

 

I knew I was craving something more indulgent. And when I stumbled across these Partner’s farms blackberries at the co-op last week, I just about screamed. Blackberries can be illusive around here and in the wild can be hit or miss. Often come late July but can be even later in cooler, wet summers. Needless to say, once I found these puppies, the creme fraiche and a couple of bars of organic dark chocolate found their way into my basket and we were off.

 

 

As many of our flavors have begun this summer, the first step is making a jam with the berries.

 

BlackberryBlackberryBlackberry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The berries are mashed slightly and combined with lemon juice to extract all the berry flavor.  Then sugar is added and they are boiled until they’ve reached the perfect ratio of sugar to fruit – mostly meaning the water that could make them icy is gone.

 

 

Creme Fraiche

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The base of the ice cream is made with cream, and creme fraiche – which adds a slightly sour flavor to the cream – and gives it just a bit more flavor and depth.  I personally love the combination of creme fraiche with fruit – and chocolate, which is why it became the main flavor component of the ice cream base.

 

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This organic dark chocolate done got busted up into chunks.  The goal with using ragged, chunks like this was to provide uneven bursts of chocolate in the cream – so sometimes you get a spoonful that has a hint of chocolate, and other times it overwhelms.  Because there is nothing bad about that.

 

 

 

The chocolate chunks are tossed in during the last few minutes of the churn and the blackberry jam is swirled in to the cream as it’s packed in it’s container.

 

Blackberry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The scoop: a delicate creme fraiche ice cream swirled with dark ribbons of scratch made blackberry jam and chock full of chunks of dark chocolate.

 
Blackberry Creme Fraiche Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

Blackberry jam ingredients:
1 pint fresh blackberries (about 1/2 pound)
1 Cup  sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Ice Cream ingredients:
1 Cup of creme fraiche (sour cream works in a pinch)
2 Cups of Heavy Cream
3/4 Cup of sugar
1 Cup of pre-made Blackberry Jam
1/2 Cup Dark chocolate, broken into chunks
1 teaspoon of salt

 

Instructions for the Jam: Place a plate in the freezer (this will come in handy in a bit). In a medium saucepan add the blackberries and lightly mash, and then add lemon juice. Let stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Cook and stir the mix until the bubbles subside and the jam appears slightly thickened, somewhere around 15 minutes. To test for doneness, spoon a small amount onto the chilled plate. If jam is gooey and wrinkles when you push your finger into it, it is done.  This means it will not be icy in the cream (which you do not want).  If not, cook and stir a little longer before testing again.   Cover and chill completely until you are ready to make the ice cream.

Instructions for ice cream: Crack eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk fully.  Add sugar and whisk until fully combined.  Add heavy cream, creme fraiche, and salt.  Whisk again until all ingredients are fully blended.

Over medium heat, whisk or stir base continuously. Keep stirring continuously until temperature reaches 165-170 degrees.  Remove from heat. Cool ice cream base to room temperature (an ice bath will do this in about 15-20 minutes).  Put base in a clean container, cover, and chill in refrigerator overnight.

Churn ice cream base in ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Add chocolate chunks in last 5 minutes of churning.    Place ice cream is in freezer proof storage container swirling in the blackberry jam in layers as you do so.  Place container in freezer and freeze ice cream for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight if you can wait.

*Yields approximately 2.5 pints
If you’d rather not make it, you can be one of two lucky winners of this fabulous, scratch made craft ice cream in our weekly pint giveaway. Enter your name in the comments section here, or on our facebook page under the posted contest. Two winners will be drawn randomly on Friday 9/4/15 at 4pm. Winners must be able to pick up locally in Minneapolis. Prizes must be claimed by email within one week or we will redistribute. 🙂 Good luck!

 

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