When I first saw this ice cream recipe, I thought, corn flavored ice cream? Ew, gross. Frankly, I thought that for a long time, like several years. Then, I decided that it was time to get off my high horse and give it a try. Because if a lot of people are raving about it, it must be decent, right? So, I held my breath and gave it a try. Wow, I have been really missing out these past few years due to my picky-self. That’s what happens when I assume something without trying it first. (The lesson I am always trying to teach my children, you can’t say you don’t like it before you have tried it!) Whoops! I need to take my own advice sometimes apparently.
Anyway, moving on to this amazingness. The last of the fresh summer corn is dwindling down, so grab a couple ears before they are gone completely. Now, let’s set the record straight before we begin, there is no actual corn pieces in the ice cream. The fresh corn that has been cut from the cob is seeped in the ice cream base. Then, it is strained out before proceeding to the next step. So, really, you are just getting the sweet juices from the corn. It doesn’t taste like corn on the cob.
This ice cream has a fresh raspberry and blackberry almost jam-like sauce swirled into the sweet corn ice cream, right after churning. That way, when you eat the ice cream, you get little bites of it, but it doesn’t over power the actual ice cream. And, the sauce doesn’t freeze, which is my favorite part. Don’t miss out like I did, and try this out this weekend before the corn is all gone for the season!
Recipe barely adapted from Jeni’s Splended Ice Creams at Home
Sweet Corn and Black Raspberry Ice Cream
This unique ice cream is summer in a bowl. Sweet corn yields a sweet ice cream that has been swirled with black raspberry sauce. You will want to make this over and over again.
Ingredients
For the ice cream
- 1 ear sweet corn, husked
- 2 cups whole milk, divided
- 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
For the sauce
- 2 cups black raspberries, or 1 cup raspberries and 1 cup blackberries
- 1 cup sugar
Instructions
- Whisk 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese and salt together until smooth. Set aside.
- Slice the kernels from the corn cob and rub the back of your knife along the now kernel-free cob to release any juices. Place the juices and kernels in a medium saucepan, along with the remaining milk, heavy cream, sugar, and corn syrup. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to strain out the corn kernels. Discard the kernels. Return the mixture to the saucepan over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Bring back to a boil, stirring with a rubber spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk into the cream cheese mixture until completely smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.
- To make the sauce, combine the berries and sugar in a small saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil, stirring frequently, until it reaches 220ºF. Let cool slightly, then strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Refrigerate until cold.
- When the ice cream is cold, churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Alternate layers of the ice cream and sauce in a freezer storage container. Freeze until firm before serving.
