Summer berries are usually what I’m most inspired to bake with, but this summer has been different. I feel myself drawn to apples, cinnamon, cardamom, chocolate, rustic pies and so on. You know, comforting things.
Maybe it’s the weather, which hasn’t been very summery. I was craving cinnamon, so I read up on it, and found out there are two types commonly used – cassia bark and “true” cinnamon. I’ve been using cassia bark this whole time, which is WAY more common and still delicious in cinnamon buns and apple pies. But this “true” cinnamon. Oh man, that smell! It smells incredible – super sweet and fruity.
Now, true cinnamon IS hard to get by, but if you do, I highly recommend getting a few sticks to save for a rainy day. I did pair it with warm cherries, but I gotta say I still struggle with the chocolate + berry combo sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, it was totally delicious, but I might try the ice cream without the chocolate and pair it with cherries, or maybe even apples?
CINNAMON CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM WITH WARM CHERRIES
Serves 4-5
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a freezer container and put in the freezer. When partially frozen (after 2-3 of hours), take it out and whip it with an electric mixer to break up the ice crystals. Repeat 3-4 of times during the freezing process. Freeze until firm enough to scoop. It won’t be exactly the same as when you use a machine for churning but it’ll still be delicious!
INGREDIENTS
ICE CREAM
- 4-5 ceylon cinnamon sticks (approx. 5-6 cm in length)
- 200 ml (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) milk, 3% fat
- 90 g (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cup) heavy cream, 35-40% fat
- 2 large egg yolks
- 50 g semi sweet chocolate (55%)
- 1 tbsp. dark rum (can be omitted)
WARM CHERRIES
- 300 g cherries, pitted
- 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
CINNAMON CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
- Break up the cinnamon sticks slightly in a mortar and pestle. Put the cinnamon sticks in a saucepan together with milk, sugar, salt and half of the cream (150 ml). Let mixture come to a boil, then remove from heat and put a lid on the pan. Let steep for at least 1 hour.
- Pour the remaining cream (150 ml) into a large bowl and set a strainer inside. Keep this close while you go through the next steps.
- Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Remove the cinnamon sticks from the milk mixture with a slotted spoon. Reheat the milk mixture over medium heat. Slowly pour the mixture over the egg yolks while whisking – this is to temper the yolks and prevent them from curdling in the next step.
- Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the pan. Return the pan to the stove and cook over medium heat while stirring constantly until mixture thickens. The mixture is done when it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the chopped chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
- Strain the thickened egg-milk mixture into the prepared bowl with the cream. Stir until combined. If you wish to speed things up a little, put the bowl in an ice bath and stir until cool. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and store in fridge overnight.
- Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to your manufacturer’s instructions.
- Transfer ice cream to a freezer container. Smooth the top with a spatula, then loosely cover the surface of the ice cream with wax paper and freeze until almost solid, about 2-4 hours.
CHERRIES
- Put the cherries in a sauce pan with sugar and lemon juice. Cook until cherries are slightly soft and liquids become syrupy in texture, about 5 minutes. Stir every now and then.
- If the ice cream has been stored in the freezer for longer than 3-4 hours, you might need to leave it at room temperature for a few minutes to soften a little bit before scooping. Serve with warm cherries.
Linda! This is so amazing and I love these photos. The recipe sounds and looks so super delicious. I can relay to the way that you are feeling about these comforting food things so very much. That is why I can´t wait for autumn to arrive. I guess that summer in Germany is similar to summer in your country 🙂
I wish you all the best and have a wonderful time!
xo, Zoe
Nydelige fotos som alltid! Oppskriften skal leses og se om jeg kan lage noe jeg også. Veldig hyggelig at du blogger litt igjen, jeg håper det blir mere etterhvert også ☺
This is a beautiful recipe Linda. As a child I would always order vanilla ice cream with warm cherries or warm apple sauce in winter. Not sure if this is a German thing but it really reminds me of my childhood. So yes, definitely give it a try with warm apples and a different kind of ice cream…maybe cardamon and/or cinnamon ice cream :)? x Kati
Linda, this ice cream is perfection! And served with warm cherries, wow heaven! Beautiful photos as always my dear… <3 I dream of Autumn as this summer has been way too hot here in Croatia and I can't wait for cooler cozy rainy days! 😀
Looks so stunning, I wish we could have a big bowl of this lovely combination now 🙂
it sounds so beautiful and your photos are so amazing,
have a nice time.
andrea
The colours in these photos are gorgeous and I love the idea of an ice-cream with warming flavours.
I’ll have to try this – I don’t have an ice-cream maker, so thanks for the tips!
Absolutely gorgeous, Linda!! And obviously this look amazingly delicious. Hope you’re well!! xx
Thank you for the beautiful post. I haven’t seen a cinnamon stick in years. When I was a kid at school we’d munch on them during class. The sweet spicy taste kept us awake!
I’m hungry now haha ☺♥
Amazing recipe Linda!
Thanks for sharing x
That looks so good. I keep meaning to haul my ice cream maker out to surprise the family. Homemade ice cream is so much better than anything you can get at the store, and it’s so fun to be creative with it.
Hello,
I just discovered the blog and I love it, really it’s great. I have watched some recipes and I have water to mouth! Thanks for sharing!
Friendship of France.
Anthony
PS : Sorry for my bad english!
Votre blog me semble avoir d’excellentes recettes. La page d’accueil est très agréable et amicale à utiliser, et le logo est assez mince et délicat.
J’aime l’idée non seulement suivre la recette, mais aussi de faire une description de que l’insipiro pour faire la soucoupe. C’est une bonne façon d’introduire la recette. Au moment de faire la soucoupe, les instructions sont claires et faciles à suivre et vous puissiez imprimer la recette.
Je pense que ce qui diffère est l’excellente photographie, génère que les gens veulent faire ces plats.
Oh! This is so lovely as a post! I am in love with your pictures! Well I am a photographer! Really nice job!
I am Teo a lifestyle blogger too! Keep in touch and see my new post too on Euframe.blogspot.com
See you! Have a nice day!
Greetings from Athens, Greece!
Love the recipe. I was wondering if you could recommend an alternative to heavy cream, vegan or no vegan. Thanks in advance.