Happy Thursday! I hope your week is treating you well. I’m finally starting to feel like a regular, alert person — traveling back from Europe really took its toll on me last week! Anyhow, I’ve been spending my week doing some last minute packing before I head to Florida this weekend, but I’ve been finding time to relax and enjoy my last few days in upstate New York, too.
Yesterday I went blueberry picking for the first (and last) time of the season. I guess my busy summer travel schedule kept me away from the blueberry patch this year, but I was surprised to find that we were still able to pick a bunch of berries this late in the season! I’m not complaining, though, because I’m really good at mixing blueberries into everything I eat — yogurt, sandwiches, by the handful, and in ice cream!
That’s right — if the summer heat is getting to you, you’ve come to the right place today!
I’ve got a simple, fool-proof recipe for a delicious vanilla blueberry ice cream that is sure to relieve any heat-related fatigue and put a smile on your face. You do need an ice cream maker for the recipe, but you can get one almost anywhere these days, and it’s totally worth the investment. 
I actually didn’t make this ice cream — my mom did! But it was too good not to share here on the blog. I’m not even usually the biggest fan of fruity ice creams (cookies ‘n cream is my #1), and even I loved it. Just make sure you use really ripe berries and quality vanilla, and it’ll be smooth sailing from there!
Rich and creamy vanilla ice cream with sweet blueberries in every bite. Don’t have blueberries on hand? Substitute strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries (or all three!) for an equally tasty ice cream. Makes about 6 to 7 cups Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: n/a (mix time 25 minutes) In a small bowl, stir the blueberries and 1/2 cup of sugar until the blueberries are coated evenly. Allow the blueberries to sit for 2 hours, then strain the berries and reserve the juices. Mash half of the berries (the amount you mash is up to you!). In a medium mixing bowl, stir the milk and remaining 1 cup of sugar with a wire whisk until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the heavy cream, reserved blueberry juice, mashed blueberries, and vanilla. Place the freezer bowl in the ice cream maker; turn the ice cream maker on. Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl and allow it to mix 20 to 25 minutes or until the mixture is thickened. Add the remaining blueberries in the last 5 minutes of mixing. The ice cream will be soft, but you can obtain the desired firmness by transferring to a a container and freezing. Store the ice cream in the freezer; allow the ice cream to sit at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
want this for breakfast! is that wrong?!
Ice cream for breakfast is a fine thing — fruit, calcium, a little bit of protein, and just a weeee bit of fat and sugar.
I am actually glad I don’t have an ice cream maker b/c this just looks wayyyy toooooo creamy & fabulous
Haha, so true! Luckily the ice cream maker belongs to my mom, so I’m not constantly tempted to whip up huge batches of homemade ice cream. Going to the store to purchase ice cream makes me think it all through a bit more.
It always takes me awhile to get back into the swing of things after traveling! I wish I had an ice cream maker!
Totally! I’ve been back for a week now and I’m just finally getting adjusted… only to take off again for Florida, ha! Could be worse, though.
You should get an ice cream maker! Sometimes W-S runs sales for the Cuisinart one, I think. That’s what my mom has. Although I think you can also get an attachment for the Kitchenaid stand mixer? I should look into this.