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If you’re new to the no-churn ice cream world, prepare to have a homemade pint in your freezer at all times from now on. It’s incredibly easy to make, just a few simple ingredients needed, and the creaminess is unparalleled.
No egg yolks to mess with, and no ice cream maker required either.
We’ve fallen in love with this Tart Cherry Nut version over the last month as I’ve been testing the recipe, and I can’t wait for you to make it in your kitchen. Cherries pair particularly well with almonds and vanilla, and when made into ice cream, each scoop is a quintessential summer treat! It’s fresh and bright, ultra creamy, and delicious – vastly different than most artificially flavored cherry ice cream you’ll find in the store.
Dried Montmorency tart cherries (also known as sour cherries) are soaked in rosé wine to slightly rehydrate them, giving them a nice fruit chew even when they’re frozen into the ice cream. Roasted, salted almonds crunch and lovely toasted flavor that’s the perfect contrast to tart cherries and sweet cream.
Sarah Kieffer, an amazing baker, adds a small amount of cream cheese to her no-churn ice cream recipes, to offset the sweetness of the condensed milk. And it works like a charm. I’ve followed her lead and added 2 ounces of cream cheese to this recipe, which you whip for one minute until it’s fluffy, then pour in the heavy cream and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
Dried cherries are a terrific mix-in to ice cream, as fresh Montmorency tart cherries are only available for a short period of time each year. Their flavor intensifies, and you get a sweet tart zing in each bite. Soaking them in wine (tart cherry juice would also work!) not only adds depth, but is important for ensuring they don’t freeze solid in the ice cream.
Montmorency tart cherries, also referred to as sour cherries, are the most common variety of tart cherries grown in the U.S, 75% of the Montmorency tart cherry crop is grown in Michigan. They’re available year-round in dried, juice, canned, and frozen forms. I love using the frozen cherries to make my Gluten-Free Cherry Pie, and the juice to make this Pink Moon Milk, a sleep tonic.
Recently there has been an influx of imported foreign cherries that are deceivingly packaged to look like Michigan grown cherries, even organic brands. For instance, some U.S. brands that use imported juice have the appearance of being made here, while the bottle needs to be tilted to see the small dark writing, hidden by the dark cherry juice background, indicating that it is in fact a product of Turkey or other foreign country. Imported tart cherries may travel more than 5,000 miles before reaching your grocery store, whereas locally-grown Michigan Montmorency tart cherries go straight from an American farm to your local grocery store.
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Cindy Rivord
December 22, 2021
That looks absolutely 😍 and pretty excited to make ☺️
Kelli Abrahamian
July 21, 2021
LOVE this! Just gorgeous. Can’t wait to make it.