We had bags and bags of bing cherries that weren’t sweet enough to be eaten on their own. We decided to make a cherry ice cream with them instead.

Cherry Ice Cream

2 cups bing cherries, pitted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

To make a cherry reduction, heat cherries with 1 cup sugar in a heavy sauce pan. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until cherries are tender, but not too soft. Add more sugar as necessary. Remove from heat. Separate out about a cup cherry pieces (to be mixed whole into the ice cream). Blend the remainder of the cherry mixture until liquidy.

In a separate saucepan, warm milk, remaining sugar and heavy cream. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks. Slowly whisk a few large spoonfuls of the milk mixture into the egg yolks. Pour warmed egg mixture back into the milk and stir constantly over medium heat. Once the mixture has thickened (enough to coat the back of a spoon), strain the mixture through a sieve. Add the blended cherry mixture through the sieve as well. Stir to combine the custard and cherry mixture. Chill thoroughly in an ice bath or refrigerator.

Freeze in an ice cream maker. Add cherry pieces to the ice cream maker when about 10 minutes remain.