Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream

Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream is the perfect summer treat, so get that ice cream maker churning!

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things in the world was visiting Coldstone Creamery. My very favorite flavor was, without a doubt, sweet cream ice cream with raspberries and dark chocolate folded in. Tart and sweet, with bitter notes from the chocolate made it so perfect, so balanced, so decadent. I was in love.

It might still be my favorite, but now that I make this chocolate raspberry swirl ice cream at home, Coldstone Creamery has become an entirely unnecessary part of life. I’ll just stay home, churn my ice cream, and watch Netflix. Or more like chase babies and make lunch for kids because #reallife.

I really love the swirling technique that I perfected with this Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream. It gives you flavors that are distinct in every bite and a gorgeous presentation. I also means you can customize your ice cream and add more or less of any ingredient that you like. Reading between the lines, that means you can add allllll the chocolate you want.

How to Make Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream

To Make the Ice Cream Custard:

• Begin by beating the egg yolks in a small mixing bowl and set them aside. 
• In a medium sized stock pot, combine the milk, whipping cream, sugar, and salt.  Heat and stir the milk and cream until gently simmering, then gradually pour it into the egg yolks, whisking as you pour. You are tempering the eggs with this step, or slowly bringing them to a similar temperature as the warm cream so that they don’t scramble when they are poured into the warm pan.
• Return the entire mixture to the pan, then heat over medium low, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula to prevent it from burning and clumping.  Do not let it come to a boil, as this will likely make the mixture curdle.  Heat until it is 194° F (90°C), or is thick enough to coat a clean spoon without dripping off. 
• Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover with a layer of clingwrap directly on top of the custard, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24.

For the Rasberry Swirl: 

• In a small saucepan, combine the raspberries, 1/4 cup white sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Mash the sugar and cornstarch into the raspberries with a fork, then stir over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.  When it’s ready, it will no longer look cloudy but should look more like a jelly.
• Pour the sauce through a sieve into a bowl, pressing through with a spoon to extract as much of the juice and fruit from the seeds as possible.  Discard the seed and let the sauce come to room temperature.

To Churn the Ice Cream: 

• Churn the custard according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. 
• Once it has reached soft serve stage, spoon about 1/4 of the mixture into the container it will be stored in. 
• Pour about 1/3 of the rasberry sauce and chopped chocolate, then repeat those steps until all of the ice cream and sauce are combined.  Before putting it into the freezer, swirl with a knife. 
• Freeze until hard, about 8-12 hours. Make sure to cover the ice cream well with cling film or a lid, and it will keep in the freezer for about two weeks.

Tools for Making Ice Cream:

• Because this is a churned ice cream, you’ll need an ice cream maker. While a good one is a bit of an investment, getting your money’s worth out of it won’t be hard. Because ice cream, of course. This Cuisinart is the one I have and it’s a great starting point!
• This is my favorite ice cream scoop for perfect round balls. And the spring mechanism is strong, so the slider that pushes the ice cream out isn’t going to give out on you.

Why Does Homemade Ice Cream Sometimes Freeze too Hard?

Ice cream is a highly scientific creation, believe it or not. A combination of freezing temperature, fat and sugar content, and the air mixed in during freezing all affect the final outcome.

Unfortunately, home ice cream makers can’t replicate the air that an industrial churning machine can add to the the finished product. That means that for a good, scoopable homemade ice cream that isn’t icy we need a good blend of the other non-freezing ingredients, namely the fats (from egg yolks, cream, and milk) and sugar. This recipe yields exactly that for a perfect scoop.

Tip for Keeping Your Ice Cream from Getting Too Firm

• Avoid changing the sugar and fat ratios (see the section above for why).
• Before you begin churning, place the dish it will be stored in at the coldest spot in your freezer (typically close to the back). This will help the ice cream stay cold and freeze faster, which promotes a softer
• Don’t stop churning before the ice cream is at a thick soft serve stage, then do the layering and swirling step as quickly as possible.
• If using a bucket ice cream maker with added ice, be sure to keep the ice cream cylinder covered in ice and add rock salt on top of it.

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