Ice Cream with Black Cherry Sauce
Submitted by AnnaFreud
Homemade vanilla custard ice cream topped with a deep morello cherry sauce simmered with lemon, vanilla bean, and the cracked cherry stones for almond-scented depth. Old-world Italian dessert work.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
5 minCOOK
45 minREADY
3 hrsTwo from-scratch components working in concert. A proper French-style vanilla ice cream custard, built on egg yolks and whole milk, cooked over a double boiler until it ribbons off the beater, then churned until silky-smooth.
The cherry sauce is where the recipe shows its Italian fingerprints. Tart morello cherries simmer with sugar, lemon zest and juice, a split vanilla bean, and (here’s the clever bit) the cracked cherry stones tied in cheesecloth. Those stones release a subtle almond-like aroma that deepens the flavor into something bakery-worthy. Discard the stones and sieve the sauce for a glossy, pourable coulis.
Low and slow is the rule for the custard. Never let it boil or the yolks scramble and the whole base curdles. Coat-a-spoon consistency is the finish line.
Chef Tips
- Split and scrape the vanilla bean to release every tiny seed into the sauce.
- Crack (don’t pulverize) the cherry stones with the flat of a knife before wrapping so they release aroma without shattering into the sauce.
- Chill the custard overnight before churning for a smoother, firmer ice cream with less iciness.
- If morellos are unavailable, a mix of Bing cherries plus a teaspoon of amaretto mimics the almond note.
Variations
- Swirl the cherry sauce through the ice cream in the final minutes of churning for a marbled effect.
- Finish with a grating of dark chocolate or a crumble of amaretti cookies on top.
- Use rosé or kirsch in place of the water for a boozy sauce twist.
Ingredients
Directions
Tie the cherry stones in a piece of cheesecloth.
Put the cherries in a saucepan and add half the sugar, the cherry stones, the zest and juice of the lemon, vanilla bean and sufficient water to barely cover the cherries.
Simmer for 30 minutes.
Set aside to cool.
Discard the cherry stones.
Push the sauce through a sieve into a bowl.
In the top of a double boiler, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until the mixture falls from the beater in a ribbon.
Add the milk.
Place over simmering water and cook, without boiling, until the custard thickens enough to coat a spoon.
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Freeze the mixture in an ice-cream machine and churn until set.
Transfer the ice-cream to a shallow serving bowl.
Pour the morello cherry sauce over it and serve.
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