Experience the delightful fusion of sweet cherries and rich rum in this exquisite homemade Rum Cherry Ice Cream. A sophisticated twist on a classic, this recipe promises a creamy, decadent treat perfect for adult palates.
The arrival of fresh cherries each year is a true culinary highlight. These vibrant ruby gems, sweet and bursting with juice, are the quintessential taste of summer. There’s nothing quite like savoring a bowl slowly, enjoying their natural sweetness under the warmth of the afternoon sun. For many, summer isn’t truly complete without indulging in the fleeting beauty of cherry season.
Beyond simply eating them fresh, cherries offer immense versatility in the kitchen. They transform beautifully into desserts like a delicate cherry clafoutis, adding a burst of flavor to compotes for morning French toast and waffles, and of course, starring in homemade ice cream. This particular recipe takes the beloved cherry ice cream to an entirely new level, infusing it with a distinctly grown-up charm. By folding rum-soaked Bing cherries into a velvety, rich vanilla custard base, we create an irresistible dessert that perfectly balances sweetness with a warming, subtle kick.
This Rum Cherry Ice Cream is not just a dessert; it’s an experience. It’s the ultimate way to elevate a classic summertime treat into a sophisticated indulgence, ideal for those seeking a unique and memorable flavor profile.
The Secret to Supreme Creaminess: A Custard-Based Cherry Ice Cream
When it comes to crafting truly exceptional homemade ice cream, the foundation is everything. Our preferred method utilizes a rich, cooked egg custard base, a technique revered for producing an unparalleled creamy texture and depth of flavor. This approach, often referred to as French-style or Philadelphia-style (when made without eggs), yields an ice cream that’s far superior to simpler no-churn versions.
Inspired by classic recipes, our base incorporates light corn syrup into the cooked and chilled egg custard. This ingredient is a game-changer for homemade ice cream. It acts as an anti-crystallization agent, preventing the formation of large ice crystals that can make ice cream hard and unpleasantly icy. The result? A remarkably easy-to-scoop ice cream straight from the freezer, offering a smooth, luxurious mouthfeel that’s often elusive in homemade varieties.
To perfectly accommodate the natural juices, vibrant fruit, and spirited liquor of our Rum Cherry Ice Cream, we’ve carefully adjusted the proportions of milk, cream, and corn syrup in this robust base. This ensures a harmonious blend where every component contributes to the ultimate dessert experience, creating a luscious texture that beautifully cradles the rum-infused cherries.
Understanding Sweeteners: Corn Syrup vs. High Fructose Corn Syrup
It’s common for consumers to confuse corn syrup with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), but they are distinct products with different chemical compositions and culinary applications. The light corn syrup found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores is fundamentally different from HFCS, which is more commonly used in processed foods and beverages.
Both sweeteners originate from corn starch. However, in the production of high fructose corn syrup, a portion of the glucose is enzymatically converted into fructose. In contrast, many popular brands of corn syrup, such as Karo, remain entirely glucose-based and contain no fructose. This difference is significant, particularly in baking and confectionery, where corn syrup’s glucose content plays a crucial role in preventing sugar crystallization and adding body.
For those interested in the fascinating food science behind these sweeteners, resources like “Corn Syrup vs. High Fructose Corn Syrup” from Fine Cooking offer excellent insights.
It’s important to acknowledge that all varieties of corn syrup are processed sweeteners. While we strive to limit processed foods in our daily diet, there’s always room for occasional indulgences, and a bowl of this creamy ice cream certainly qualifies. However, if your dietary philosophy strictly avoids all processed sweeteners, this particular recipe, due to its use of light corn syrup, might not align with your guidelines.
Mastering Fruit Incorporation in Homemade Ice Cream: No More Icy Chunks!
One common pitfall when making fruit-flavored homemade ice cream is the tendency for raw fruit pieces to become rock-solid and icy once frozen. Whether you’re adding strawberries, peaches, or cherries, these unyielding chunks can be a stark and unwelcome contrast to the smooth, velvety texture of the ice cream base.
The key to overcoming this challenge lies in proper fruit preparation. The trick is to either cook or macerate your fruit before incorporating it into the ice cream base. This process softens the fruit fibers and, critically, draws out excess moisture. By reducing the liquid content within the fruit itself, you prevent it from freezing into impenetrable ice cubes. While the fruit will still freeze, it will do so in a much more tender and palatable way, blending seamlessly with the ice cream’s creamy consistency.
For this Rum Cherry Ice Cream recipe, we employ a dual-pronged approach that maximizes both flavor and texture. First, fresh Bing cherries are gently simmered with sugar. This slow cooking process coaxes out their vibrant juices, creating a rich, flavorful cherry syrup. After straining, this intensely flavored syrup is churned directly into the ice cream base, imparting a natural pink hue and deep cherry essence throughout the custard.
The cooked cherry solids, now softened and concentrated in flavor, undergo their own transformation. They are then soaked in dark rum, allowing them to absorb the liquor’s complex notes. These rum-infused cherries are folded into the ice cream during the final stages of churning, just before transferring it to the freezer for its final set. The combination of being cooked down and permeated with alcohol prevents the cherries from freezing into an unappetizing, ice cube-like consistency. Instead, they remain tender, bursting with flavor, and offer a delightful textural contrast to the smooth ice cream.
The Adult Delight: Exploring Boozy Ice Cream Flavors
Incorporating liquor into ice cream not only adds a sophisticated layer of flavor but also subtly influences the texture, thanks to alcohol’s lower freezing point. While dark rum provides a classic and harmonious pairing with cherries in this recipe, the world of boozy ice cream is vast and open to delicious experimentation.
If rum isn’t your preferred spirit, consider these excellent substitutions to tailor the flavor to your liking:
- Brandy or Bourbon: These spirits offer warm, oaky notes that would provide a classic and robust complement to the sweet cherries, creating a more traditional European or American dessert profile.
- Kirsch: For those who truly want to amplify the cherry essence, a cherry-flavored brandy like kirsch (kirschwasser) would intensely boost the fruit’s natural flavor, making it a pure celebration of cherries.
- Chambord: A black raspberry liqueur, Chambord, would introduce a delicate underlying berry note, adding another layer of fruity complexity that pairs beautifully with the cherries.
It’s worth noting that boozy ice cream tends to be more susceptible to melting due to the alcohol content. This characteristic means it’s best enjoyed shortly after scooping to fully appreciate its creamy texture and vibrant flavors. However, with a bowl of this exquisite Rum Cherry Ice Cream in front of you, the thought of waiting long to dig in will likely be the furthest thing from your mind!
Rum Cherry Ice Cream Recipe
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars from 5 votes
Rum Cherry Ice Cream
by Amanda Biddle
Rum-soaked cherries make this ice cream an extra-special treat for adults, but it is equally delicious with the alcohol omitted. Serve on its own or with a drizzling of hot fudge!
Makes a little over one quart of ice cream.
Prep Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 9 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh Bing cherries, pitted and halved
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 2-3 tablespoons dark rum (depending on how prominent you like the rum flavor)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine cherries and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring, until cherries have begun to soften and juices are a syrup-like consistency, about 8-10 minutes.
- Strain syrup into a bowl and set aside. Place cherries in a separate bowl and stir in rum. Cool both syrup and rum-soaked cherries to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, until well-chilled.
- Stir together whole milk, heavy cream, light corn syrup, and kosher salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until mixture is steadily steaming and reads about 175 degrees F. Remove from heat.
- Whisk together egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk about one third of the warm milk mixture into the yolks to temper them. Return yolk mixture to the pot, stirring to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Do not allow it to boil, as this can curdle the eggs.
- Strain custard through a fine mesh sieve into a large, clean bowl to ensure a silky-smooth texture, removing any potential bits of cooked egg. Stir in the pure vanilla extract. Let the custard stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes to cool slightly. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well-chilled, at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight for best results.
- When ready to churn, remove the chilled custard and cherry syrup from the refrigerator. Stir the reserved cherry syrup into the custard base until thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions until a soft-serve consistency is reached. During the last 4 minutes of churning, add the reserved rum-soaked cherries (along with any accumulated juices or rum) to ensure they are evenly distributed.
- Once churned, immediately transfer the soft ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream to minimize ice crystal formation. Cover the container with a lid and freeze until the ice cream is firm and scoopable, which typically takes at least 4 hours. For optimal texture and flavor, allow it to freeze overnight.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 231mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 1155IU | Vitamin C: 4.3mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 0.6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
About our recipes
Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
Tips for Homemade Ice Cream Perfection
Making ice cream at home is a rewarding culinary journey, and a few simple tips can elevate your results from good to absolutely phenomenal:
- Chill Thoroughly: The importance of a well-chilled base cannot be overstated. An overnight chill in the refrigerator allows the flavors to meld beautifully and ensures the mixture freezes efficiently in your ice cream maker, leading to a smoother texture.
- Quality Ingredients Matter: Since ice cream has relatively few ingredients, the quality of each shines through. Use fresh, ripe Bing cherries, good quality dark rum, and fresh dairy for the best flavor.
- Patience is a Virtue: After churning, the ice cream will have a soft-serve consistency. It needs several hours (or preferably overnight) in the freezer to firm up properly for optimal scooping. Resisting the urge to dig in too early will be rewarded!
- Storage: Store your homemade ice cream in an airtight container, pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface before sealing. This minimizes air exposure and prevents ice crystals from forming, keeping your ice cream fresh and delicious for longer.
- Serving Suggestions: While this Rum Cherry Ice Cream is divine on its own, consider serving it with a drizzle of warm hot fudge sauce, a dollop of fresh whipped cream, or a sprinkling of toasted almonds for added crunch and decadence. It also pairs beautifully alongside a slice of rich chocolate cake or a light fruit tart.
This Rum Cherry Ice Cream embodies the joy of summer and the sophistication of a truly adult dessert. Its rich, creamy texture, combined with the bursts of rum-soaked cherries, creates a symphony of flavors that will delight your senses and impress your guests. Don’t let another cherry season pass without trying this exquisite treat!
Originally published July 6, 2016.