The total volume of this ice cream exceeded the stated capacity of my gelato maker by one cup. That turned out to be okay as the freezing mixture expands and uses the small extra capacity available immediately under the lid. Thus, instead of the typical yield of 1 1/2 quarts I got 1 3/4 quarts. Check the true capacity of your gelato maker to assure that the ice cream mixture will not overflow from the bowl into the freezing coils, initially or during freezing. Adjust ingredient amounts if necessary.
Ingredients: (makes about 1 3/4 quarts of ice cream)
2 extra large or jumbo eggs plus two egg yolks
2 cups of heavy cream
¾ cup of sugar
1 cup of milk
1 cup of maraschino cherry juice
3 tablespoons of vanilla extract
1 cup of maraschino cherries cut into quarters
Directions:
Cut the cherries into quarters and set them aside in a bowl in the freezer.
Use your electric mixer to beat the eggs and the egg yolks on medium speed for two minutes, then pause to add the sugar, then resume mixing for two minutes. Then add the vanilla extract and the maraschino cherry juice and resume mixing for one additional minute. Slowly add the cream and the milk while continuing to mix for one minute.
Transfer the mixture to a gelato maker and turn it on. Add half of the cut maraschino cherries. After about 30 minutes check the ice cream to see if it is fairly stiff. If necessary continue to run the gelato maker for an additional ten minutes.
Add the other half of the cut maraschino cherries gradually so they do not bunch together.
Run the gelato maker for three to five minutes.
Transfer the ice cream from the gelato maker into a good quality 2 quart plastic container that has a tight fitting lid. Put the lid on the ice cream and put the container into a deep freeze for four to six hours.
The ice cream is then ready to serve. It is more than delicious ... it is superb!
So, what is better than superb? Read about the alternate recipe below. Definitely try it. I like it best.
Alternate Recipe using evaporated milk as an ingredient of the custard base ice cream:
Ingredients:
2 cups of heavy cream
1, 12 ounce can of evaporated milk
2/3 cup of sugar
1/8 teaspoon of fine sea salt
4 jumbo or 5 extra large or 6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup of maraschino cherry juice
1 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
1 cup of maraschino cherries cut into quarters
Directions:
Cut the cherries into quarters and set them aside in a bowl in the freezer.
Heat the cream, evaporated milk, maraschino cherry juice, sugar and salt in a heavy bottom saucepan, on medium-low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar completely, while raising the temperature to 140 degrees F (use an instant read thermometer). That will take about 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Whisk the yolks in a separate bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about one cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolks. Then, gradually whisk that yolk and cream mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the cream mixture.
Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and cook while stirring until the mixture is 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Then immediately remove the saucepan from the heat.
Strain the custard base through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Add the vanilla and mix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the custard base to cool in the refrigerator.
Chill the covered custard base in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. Note that you can keep the custard base refrigerated before use for up to three to four days if it is well covered.
Churn and chill the flavored custard base in a gelato or ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
When the ice cream is becoming stiff then gradually add the maraschino cherry pieces and then run the ice cream machine until the contents are stiff enough to be ready for packaging.
Transfer the ice cream to a sealable plastic or paper box container(s) and hard freeze the ice cream for four or more hours in the deep freeze.
Serve the ice cream. Moan with pleasure!
Notes:
The temperature of a deep freeze is typically lower than that of the freezer of your refrigerator, and that means the deep freeze is superior to your refrigerator freezer in the last step of final freezing of the ice cream. Use your deep freeze and the ice cream will be ready within a few hours. Conversely, the freezer of your refrigerator may not properly freeze the ice cream at all (it depends in part on how you set your freezer settings), and even if it does you may have to wait until the next day to eat the ice cream properly frozen.
Note also that you may enjoy this dessert as a soft ice cream, which I love. To do that divide the ice cream from the gelato maker into two, one quart containers. Put both containers into your refrigerator freezer for one hour. The ice cream is then ready to eat as a soft ice cream. Try it. If you continue freezing the remaining ice cream it will have the traditional ice cream consistency. Or you might serve all of the soft ice cream immediately to family or friends in ice cream dishes that have been chilled in the freezer.