I haven’t been able to stop thinking about blueberries since returning from Blueberry Boot Camp last month, so look what I made: Blueberry Graham Cracker Ice Cream!
I spent a couple of days immersed in the world of blueberries at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley along with several other bloggers, food service professionals and chefs.
And it was two of the most delicious days ever in my life. I kid you not.
You probably know how nutritious blueberries are. They’re packed with Vitamin C, manganese and fiber, and with only 80 calories per cup, the little blue dynamos make the perfect addition to school lunches.
But their versatility might surprise you. I know it surprised me! Not only are they fantastic in sweet treats, but they’re amazing in savory recipes.
My moment of epiphany was when Chef Lars Kronmark made blueberry breakfast sausage for us.
Mind blown. So good.
And once I tasted that sausage, there was no going back. I wanted a taste of everything, and believe me, everything was on the menu.
And my favorite recipe of all was for blueberry meatloaf. Yes, blueberry meatloaf. It looked a little wackadoo at first glance, but man, it was good.
In fact, we had a mini cook-off with some local kid judges and the blueberry meatloaf was one of their faves as well.
So don’t underestimate the blueberry! Both kids and adults love pop-in-the-mouth convenience, and they add a nutritious boost to all kinds of delicious dishes.
Blueberries are the best, so get creative when packing lunch boxes and serving up meals for the family.
Try my blueberry graham cracker ice cream too! It’s a dessert you’ll want to make over and over again.
Blueberry Graham Cracker Ice Cream
Blueberry Graham Cracker Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh blueberries divided
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup graham crackers broken into pieces
Instructions
- Freeze ice cream maker freezer bowl at least 24 hours. It's important that it's very, very cold for the best ice cream consistency.
- Put half the blueberries ( 1 cup) and water in small saucepan over low heat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Place in blender along with remaining blueberries. Puree. Add sugar, lemon zest and salt. Blend a minute or so. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Cover; place in freezer to chill at least 30 minutes. You want it nice and cold when it goes into the ice cream maker.
- Whisk in cream and half and half. Add to ice cream maker. Follow manufacturer's directions to churn ice cream. In about 20-30 minutes, the ice cream will reach a creamy soft-serve consistency. Just before finishing churning, add the graham cracker pieces and let them mix in.
- For a firmer consistency, remove from freezer bowl and place in freezer for several hours. Store in sealed container.
Nutrition
Visit the US. Highbush Blueberry Council website for all sorts of blueberry recipes, info and fun facts about the 100th year of the blueberry!
