Cranberry Cheesecake Ice Cream {The Get Your Chef On Challenge}

I am excited to be participating in my second ever Get Your Chef On Challenge from Julie at White Lights on Wednesdays and Jen at Four Marrs and One Venus.  This Get Your Chef On Challenge is...

Cranberries!!
I love cranberries.  Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without the cranberry sauce, right? ;)  Last holidays, I made a cranberry upside down cake for family and it was a huge hit.  Cranberries can be tart.  With some sugar and a little heat, they can become syrupy sweet.  They are a great addition to savory meals.  They are perfect in desserts.  And dried they are a fabulous snack.  
Since receiving my very first ice cream maker as a birthday gift a few months ago, I have been obsessed with creating new and delicious homemade ice cream flavors.  I thought why not a festive cranberry cheesecake ice cream?  ;)  I have discovered that using sweetened condensed milk in my ice cream base has allowed me to eliminate three things typically found in homemade ice cream- sugar,eggs, and heavy cream.  The canned milk gives my homemade ice cream all the sweetness and creaminess that it needs.
What you will need: 1 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries 1/2 cup sugar 2-3 dashes of cloves (optional) 14oz can sweetened condensed milk 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup half and half 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional- you could also used toasted almonds or walnuts in this)
Rock salt and ice for ice cream maker
Be sure to chill the ice cream  maker container in the freezer while you prep the cranberries and the ice cream base.

In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries and sugar.  Heat over medium-high heat until the sugar is melted.  Add in a few dashes of cloves (I like the addition of the cloves because it is a flavor that just tastes like the holidays to me).  Continue heating until bubbly (like the photo above) and then remove from the heat.  Pour the cranberry mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for about an hour.

When the cranberry sauce is almost cool, start the cheesecake base for your ice cream.  In a large bowl, beat together the sweetened condensed milk, the cream cheese, vanilla, half and half, and sour cream.  Beat until smooth and then pour into your chilled ice cream container.

Churn according to your ice cream maker's specifications.  I churned my ice cream for about 30 minutes. 

Once it is done churning, scrape all of the cheesecake ice cream into a freezer safe container.  It will be somewhat runny.  Don't worry- it will thicken up in the freezer.  Carefully mix in your cranberry sauce and your white chocolate chips (or toasted nuts or both).  Do not over mix.  Just mix enough to get a few thick swirls of cranberry throughout your ice cream. 

Cover tightly and freeze overnight.

You will need to let the ice cream sit out at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before trying to scoop it out the next day.  Homemade ice cream tends to freeze harder than the store bought varieties. 

This Cranberry Cheesecake Ice Cream is creamy and sweet with a slight pop of tartness from the cranberry swirl. If you are looking for an unique dessert for your next holiday gathering, I think you have found it. ;) 

Want to check out the rest of my competition in the Get Your Chef On Cranberries Challenge?  Click below to check out some other cranberry inspired deliciousness!

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Without the Cream

In continuation of my reluctance to completely give up summer this week, I present to you all my very first homemade ice cream recipe... ;)

As most of you who have been following along with me know, I was over the moon when my parents gave me an ice cream maker for my birthday.  This handy appliance has been on my kitchen gadget wish list for quite a while now.  I couldn't wait to give it a try for the first time. ;)  

I bought these ^^^ beauties at the local farmers market, and I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do with them... 

I looked up a number of strawberry ice cream recipes, most calling for at least 2 cups of heavy cream.  Have you checked out the price of a large carton of heavy cream lately?  It is pushing $5 presently.  I really couldn't justify paying that when I knew I could go pick up a half gallon of Edy's for less!

So, I improvised.  I had a can of sweetened condensed milk in the cabinet, and thought to myself- why not?  If it works, awesome.  If it doesn't, then well... I was going to chalk it up to a newbie blunder. ;)  But we all know I wouldn't be posting this recipe if it hadn't worked, right?

What you will need:

14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

2 cups of milk (I used organic 2%, but use whatever you have on hand.)

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups of chopped fresh strawberries

Lots of ice & rock salt for your ice cream maker

Whisk together the condensed milk and regular milk in a medium bowl.  Now whisk in the vanilla.  Take about half of the strawberries and give them a quick puree in your blender.  

Whisk in the strawberry puree and the remaining strawberry chunks.  Pour the mixture into your chilled ice cream maker canister.

Every ice cream maker model is different, so make sure to follow the directions that came with yours.  I let my ice cream churn for approximately 25 minutes, adding a little more ice and salt after 10-15 minutes.

Once it is finished churning, your ice cream should look a little like the photo above.  You can eat all this deliciousness immediately, or store it in a freezer safe container to allow it to harden a little more.

This strawberry ice cream turned out perfect!  I couldn't be more thrilled with my first homemade ice cream making venture.  It is simple, delicious, and creamy.