Blueberry Swirl Key Lime Ice Cream

The thermometer has hit 90° more than once this past week, and that kind of stifling heat practically begs for ice cream, right?

This one has been on my mind since last summer.  I was planning on making it last summer, but things got crazy and my plans for this frozen treat were waylaid until now.

I’m so glad I got around to it this summer.  And you will be too — because this is the creamiest, richest, tastes-just-like-key-lime-pie ice cream you’ll ever have!  

Frankly, it should — the ingredients are virtually identical.  

And when I say creamy, I mean it.  You know how sometimes a homemade ice cream can get a little grainy?  Icy?  Not this one.  It’s silky smooth with ribbons of mellow blueberry running through it.

I know, blueberry?  Well, my original plan was to make a graham cracker streusel to further mimic that famous pie, but I spied the blueberries in the fridge and my strategy went in a different direction.  

You don’t have to make the blueberry swirl, but after my official tasters tried it, their verdict was — you’ll want to! 

Even if you don’t swirl it into the ice cream, you can spoon it over the top like a sundae.  Umm-nom-nom!!!

freeze ice cream to a semi-firm stage

Add a scoop of ice cream and a spoonful of sauce

I actually came across this recipe during one of my trips to the local library.  In a tome aptly named The Ultimate Ice Cream Book by Bruce Weinstein.  

carefully fold, but don’t stir

one or two turns is all you need

pour into a freezer container

There were more than 500 frozen treats in the book, but I zeroed in on the Key Lime.  

It’s creamy, sweet and tart all in one bite.  Don’t you just love summer?

look at that gorgeous purple swirl!

decadent!

spoon on some leftover blueberry sauce!

So good that Emily has requested I make it again this week.

Blueberry Swirl Key Lime Ice Cream

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours

Servings: 8

Calories: 434kcal

Author: Bruce Weinstein

A sweet swirl of blueberry nestled in a tangy key lime ice cream.  This is the most requested ice cream in our household and I'm required to make it at least twice each summer!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

for blueberry puree

• 2 cups blueberries
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1"x3" peels of lemon no bitter white pith -- just the fragrant rind
• juice of one lemon

for the ice cream

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 15- ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup key lime juice - or squeeze 8-10 fresh key limes I like Nellie & Joe's

Instructions

for the blueberry puree

• Add the blueberries, sugar, lemon rind, and lemon juice to a small saucepan and heat to a boil. Cook until the blueberries burst and have broken down into a sauce - about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Set a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl. Pour the blueberry sauce through the strainer. Use the back of a wooden spoon to press on the blueberry solids, pushing them through the strainer. Do this until the only thing left in the strainer are the blueberry skins and the lemon rinds. Discard the solids. Cover and refrigerate the blueberry puree.

for the ice cream

• Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk them together.
• Bring the cream to a simmer in a heavy medium-sized saucepan. When cream is hot, slowly whisk it into the egg yolks -- adding the cream a little at a time so that the eggs don't heat too quickly and scramble.
• Pour the egg mixture back into the pot and stir constantly over medium low heat until custard thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
• Place a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl and pour the custard mixture through the strainer. Allow the custard to cool slightly, then stir in the sweetened condensed milk and key lime juice. Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight.
• Make the ice cream according to the manufacturers instructions for your ice cream maker. Transfer the ice cream to a loaf pan or other storage container, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for about 20-30 minutes so that it firms up, but isn't hard.
• Scoop out one quarter of the ice cream and add 2-3 tablespoons of blueberry puree. Use a spatula to fold the puree into the ice cream. One or two turns with the spatula is all you want -- so you get pretty swirls. If you work it too much -- the whole thing will turn purple. Transfer into a new loaf pan. Repeat this process with ice cream and puree until you've used all the ice cream. Note: you will have leftover puree -- which can be spooned over the top of ice cream before serving, or use it for other desserts or cocktails. (I had about 1 cup leftover).
• Freeze the ice cream several hours or overnight.
• Scoop and into bowls and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 218mg | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 303mg | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 1020IU | Vitamin C: 9.9mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 0.6mg

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