Mascarpone Ice Cream with Wine Poached Cherries

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Sitting cross legged on the grass, feeling the sun on our backs, talking and laughing, watching my toddler entertain himself as puppies chased each other, and savouring scoops of ice cream that melted away too quickly, as did the afternoon itself..

Looking for tree toads! 

There is something about eating ice cream that makes a fun day, even more fun don't you think? Though I think I now enjoy making  ice cream as much, if not even more than eating it! I made this peach bourbon ice cream without an ice cream maker, and we also loved this pistachio honey, salty caramel. and this macaron ice cream sandwich.. so how could I let this summer go by without making even one? 
This time I wanted to make something to pair with all kinds of glorious summer fruits and it so does- it's lightly tangy from home made mascarpone cream, a perfect match for fresh, poached or roasted summer fruit like these deep red cherries which I poached in red wine, but I just know it will be as spectacular with caramelized grilled peaches.

(See how to pit cherries with a beer bottle!)

Best of all, it requires no ice cream maker! I kind of stumbled onto this when I whizzed together some home made ( yes, yes homemade! and it couldn't be easier- I'll tell you how soon, promise) mascarpone cheese and whipped cream and then froze the whole thing because I knew a tub of THAT would not be safe anywhere else but the freezer!

The resulting ice cream is smooth and rich and so, so lickable! It kind of took me by surprise by how good it was considering how easy it was to make. You must know that we are a household of ice cream snobs, and will allow ourselves only the luxury of Jenny's Splendid Ice Cream or my Bay Area favourite Bi-Rite. This one passed our ice cream test, so you know it is good. Real good!


Also check out this tantalizing Cherry Ginger Chutney , this gorgeous Cherry Ice Cream  and this tempting Strawberry Ice Cream that my friends Prerna, Kankana and Viji made that triggered my cherry + ice cream quest!



Blender Mascarpone Ice cream

Ingredients
1 cup mascarpone cheese ( store bought or home made)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 tbsp fine granulated or powdered sugar  ( I didn't add too much because I was serving it with fruit, you can taste and add more if you'd like)

Method:
Stir a little of the cream into the mascarpone cheese and mix with a spoon until it becomes a little loose
Scrape it into your blender jar and add everything else, the rest of the cream, vanilla, salt and sugar.
Pulse a couple of times until the whole thing is mixed well and thickens into a delicious creamy mass.
Do not over mix else the cream may start becoming buttery which will leave a slick feeling and ruin the mouth feel- an important aspect of ice cream.
Eat large gobs of this mascarpone whipped cream ( I know you won't be able to help your self :) or you can also serve it on all kinds of desserts.
But wait! Don't finish it all, pour this mascarpone cream into to a deep container and freeze it to make ice cream!

 It is rich enough that it will not crystallize much, which is why you don't need an ice cream maker. Take it out of the freezer about 10 minutes before serving, so that it has a chance to soften a bit and become easier to scoop.

Red Wine Poached Cherries

Ingredients
1 cup pitted cherries ( see how to easily pit cherries without a cherry pitter here)
1/2 cup red wine
2 tbsp sugar ( or to taste)

Put the cherries and sugar into a saucepan on medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar melts.
Stir in the wine and let simmer until the cherries are cooked and a syrupy liduid is formed.

These poached cherries are also good with cheese, yogurt or even custard, or on desserts like panna cotta and cheesecake.

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