Blackberry Ice Cream

Feeling so excited!! Made ice cream after such a long time!!! We have a blackberry bush which has been growing so fast and fruiting in a rapid manner, faster than we can pick the berries. This is the first year with the plant, and in spite of sharing berries with my neighbors and friends, I still have a lot. And while summer is here, ice cream is just a perfect dessert.

Pinterest is full of recipes with Blackberries. They are so tempting, and feels like I should try lot of desserts, but again just refraining myself from extra calories :) I would surely prefer sharing the berries and plant cuttings with my friends. We are so glad to have an amazing yield of the fresh, sweet berries.

I have always wanted to buy a ice cream machine. I like the traditional Vat style at BBB. To fill the vat with ice and salt (freezing mixture) and the center container with ice cream mixture. As the ice cream container rotates it churns and freezes the ice cream mixture too. I have seen this traditional type in India and would love to own one. But till then I tried food processor icecream recipe by Sue. It looked so yum and easy that I had to try it! Indeed a lovely and easy recipe :)

My husband loves his ice cream in waffle cone and I like it in a waffle cup. I have been trying to pester him to buy me a waffle cone maker. Every time I see it in a store, I want to buy it. But again I think of where to store so many fancy machines and equipment. I still haven't bought one. So the need of the hour was to figure out a recipe without waffle cone maker. I checked few recipes of waffle cone batter of YouTube. They seemed really easy, but they all had eggs in it. Hmmmm...I had to slightly modify the recipe according to ingredients available at home. So here it is... an eggless waffle cup using organic whole wheat flour. I am sure all moms out there will be excited and super happy with me :) These waffle cups turned out amazingly good and crisp...something that kids would love! Homemade waffle cups made on griddle cannot be stored long. They should be made and consumed within 30 minutes or as they will turn slightly soft. If they soften, you could microwave them for 30 seconds and let them cool on a paper towel to turn crisp again. Give this a try for sure.

Ingredients:
To make ice cream (serves 5-8 people)
1 cup milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups blackberries

Boil milk and add sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Let the milk cool slightly and then mix in whipping cream
Let the mixture cool.
Transfer the mixture in a freezer safe glass box. Cover with a tight lid and place in the freezer to freeze.
Remove the frozen mixture. Cut into pieces.
Add blackberries to the food processor. For seedless ice cream: grind blackberries separately first and strain in a strainer to remove seeds. Add the strained puree to the food processor.
Put frozen pieces in a food processor and grind them to make soft and fluffy ice cream.
Remove in a freezer safe container. Cover and then freeze ice cream.
Let ice cream rest out of the freezer for 5-8 minutes before serving.

To make waffle cups (makes 2-3 waffle cups)
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. butter
1+1/2 tbsp sugar
2-3 drops vanilla extract
3 tbsp. whole wheat flour

Mix all the ingredients well to form and smooth batter.
Heat non-stick griddle to medium temperature.
Pour some batter and spread to form a 5-6 inch circle.
Cook on one side. Flip and cook on the other side.
Use a flat spatula to press the crepe to cook and brown evenly.
Remove from the pan and quickly mold to over an upside down glass.
Remove in 30 seconds and place on a paper towel to avoid moisture and waffle cup getting soggy and soft.
Cool and serve with ice cream.

Boil milk and add sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Let the milk cool slightly and then mix in whipping cream

Let the mixture cool.

Fresh berries from my yard.

Transfer the mixture in a freezer safe glass box. Cover with a tight lid and place in the freezer to freeze.

Remove the frozen mixture. Cut into pieces.

Add blackberries to the food processor. For seedless ice-cream: grind blackberries separately first and strain in a strainer to remove seeds. Add the strained puree to the food processor.

Put frozen pieces in a food processor and grind them to make soft and fluffy ice-cream.