Bourbon Ice Cream with Chocolate Swirl
This bourbon ice cream is made with cream cheese and a chocolate swirl, and is an egg-free, extra-creamy treat. Inspired by Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream!
Servings: 12 people (½ cup scoop each)
Calories: 186kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups whole milk, divided
- 5 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ounces bourbon See Recipe Notes
- 3 tablespoons hot fudge sauce If your fudge sauce needs to be heated before using, allow to cool slightly before using
- ¼ cup chopped pecans (optional) Can be added to the ice cream with the chocolate, or used as a topping
Instructions
- Before beginning, make sure your ice cream maker freezer bowl is frozen (if needed).
Mix Milk with Thickeners:
- Mix Milk + Cornstarch: Mix ¼ cup of the milk and all the cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Set aside.
- Mix Milk + Cream Cheese: Warm cream cheese and another ¼ cup of milk for 20 seconds in the microwave. Whisk together until smooth. Whisk in the salt. Set aside.
Make the Ice Cream Base:
- Place the remaining 1 ¾ cups milk, cream, sugar, honey and bourbon in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Whisk about ½ cup of the hot milk mixture into the cornstarch mixture. Slowly pour the cornstarch and milk mixture back into the hot milk, whisking constantly. Return to medium heat and cook, whisking frequently, until it comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute; then remove from the heat.
- Whisk in the cream cheese mixture. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Whisk until smooth.
Chill the Ice Cream Base:
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature, and then chill the ice cream base for at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Make the Ice Cream:
- Pour mixture into ice cream maker, and churn according to your machine's directions.
- Layer the ice cream into a container with alternating layers of hot fudge sauce. If using, sprinkle the pecans over the ice cream with the chocolate. (Alternatively, save the pecans and use them as a topping when serving.)End the layers with a drizzle of hot fudge sauce. Seal with a lid (or plastic wrap or foil) and freeze for 3-4 hours or until hardened.Optionally, about an hour after putting into the freezer, lay wax paper directly on top of the ice cream (to keep ice crystals from forming on top). Tip: Ice cream will harden more quickly in a shallow container.
- Keep frozen, and use within 2 months. Keep the container sealed and (if using) the wax paper directly on top of the ice cream.
Notes
Yields approximately 1 ½ quarts ice cream. If your ice cream maker is smaller than that you can make two smaller batches.
Nutrition information does not include optional pecans.
Note on the Bourbon:
- Bourbon will keep this recipe from freezing quite as hard, so this will be a softer ice cream (but it will still be scoopable). If you regularly make ice cream, plan on this ice cream taking slightly longer to freeze than a non-boozy batch.
- Use less bourbon for a less boozy ice cream. I don't recommend adding more since it may make the ice cream too soft.
- The bourbon will not "cook off," so this is definitely not an ice cream for kids.
Nutrition
Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 429IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 0.1mg
