Crafting Crumbs: No Churn Roasted Berry Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Finally I am starting to do more cooking and baking. Ok - well I am not really sure that ice cream falls into the cooking or baking category - but will stretch a little for this new recipe. Actually the berry mix is a beautiful blend that was roasted in the oven , so I did a minimal amount of cooking! And O...M...G...! If I had known that roasting berries would have produced the most delicious, intoxicating smell ever... I would have done it ages ago.

I actually made this a couple of weeks ago and it is honestly one of the best flavor combos I have had in a while... maybe EVER! (Full disclosure - there are very few ice cream flavors that I don't like, especially when they involve berries of any kind. And I really am a vanilla purist. To me, there is nothing better than real vanilla ice cream. So in all fairness, I have to say that this is a shortcut vanilla base, and one that I would make again, but only in a pinch. I love the REAL vanilla with the scraped vanilla beans and cream and yes, even the making of the custard. It's a process, but one that turns out fabulous results.)

BUT.... on those days when it's just too darned hot to stand over a stove and/or you are just too tired to put out the effort it takes for the longer version, this is a great substitute - really. And the roasted berries take it over the top. And with temperatures hitting the 90s here on the beach this weekend and into next week, I am glad I still have some of this in the freezer (and a few other varieties I will share soon).

This honestly is a MUST TRY. And I am sure you could substitute with peaches, nectarines and raspberries, ( a great flavor combination),,,,you name it!!

NO CHURN VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM WITH ROASTED BERRIES

adapted from Food Fanatic

Roasted Berry Sauce:

1 quart fresh strawberries (halved)
1 pint fresh blueberries
2 pints fresh blackberries
1/3 c. organic natural cane sugar
1 t. Madagascar bourbon pure vanilla powder (you can use extract if you don't have the powder, but the powder really mixes beautifully and is nice to have on hand)
1/8 t. ground cardamom

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the berries, sugar, vanilla and cardamom gently in a folding motion so as not to crush the berries.

Fresh berries - still "raw"

Pour the mixture into a large baking pan (I used a 1/2 sheet pan that was the perfect size) and spread the berries so they are not layered on top of each other, as much as possible.

Bake for 20-35 minutes or until the fruit is soft. Allow to cool completely and then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Roasted berries.......wish you could smell them!

NOTE: You may want to hide all of your teaspoons, tablespoons, ladles - anything that will make it easy for you to literally devour this pan of berry lusciousness. I don't normally get weak in the knees over food, but this..... THIS is just beyond words. It would be fabulous on its own mixed into yogurt, or a smoothie, or over pound cake - the list is endless.

Vanilla Ice Cream Base:

2 c. whipping cream
1 - 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste (takes the vanilla to the next level)
1/2 c. roasted berry sauce, gently mashed

In the bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with the whisk attachment), whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks. That should take about 4 minutes.

A yummy mixer concoction...

Turn the mixer down to low and slowly stream in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla bean paste. Continue to mix until combined, about 1 minute.

Pour the ice cream base into a freezer safe container *(I love the Tovolo containers that you can buy from Amazon). Spoon a 1/2 c. of roasted mashed berries over the ice cream and use a small knife to swirl the berries into the base. Cover with a piece of parchment paper set on top (to prevent ice from forming) and then close it tightly with the lid. Freeze overnight.