Brown Butter Blueberry Bourbon Ice Cream

Brown Butter Blueberry Bourbon Ice Cream

• • 1/4 cup unsalted butter

  • 2 cups blueberries

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 2 cups whole milk

  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt

  • 6 egg yolks

  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons bourbon

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter, swirling around every so often, until nutty brown solids form on the bottom of the pan and the butter smells very fragrant. Stir in the blueberries and cook for several more minutes, just until the blueberries release their juices. Transfer to a strainer set over a bowl.

In the same saucepan, whisk together the cream, milk, nutmeg, vanilla and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, just until the cream starts to bubble around the edges.

Meanwhile, break up the egg yolks in a bowl and whisk in the brown sugar. Slowly stream about a cup of the hot cream into the eggs, whisking the eggs constantly to temper them. Scrape the eggs back into the saucepan. Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for about 5-8 minutes, until the custard is thick enough to coat a spoon. Remove from the heat and whisk in the bourbon.

Pour the custard into a blender. Add half the blueberries, along with the buttery liquid, and blend until smooth. Stir in the remaining whole blueberries. Cover with plastic and chill until very cold, preferably overnight.

Churn the ice cream according to the manufacturer's instructions on your ice cream maker, then transfer to a container and freeze until firm, about 4-6 hours.

Yields about 2 quarts

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen