Cream Cheese Icing For Cake Decorating

Cream Cheese Ice Cream

Total Time

Prep: 20 min. + chilling Process: 20 min./batch + freezing

Makes

1-1/2 quarts

This cheesecake ice cream is hands-down the best homemade ice cream I've ever eaten.—Johnnie McLeod, Bastrop, Louisiana

Cream Cheese Ice Cream

Cream Cheese Ice Cream Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1 cup whole milk
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
12 ounces cream cheese, cubed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the cream and milk to 175°; stir in sugar until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into the eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches at least 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon.
Remove from the heat. Whisk in cream cheese until smooth. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. Transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving.

Cheesecake Ice Cream Tips

What goes well with cheesecake ice cream?

Serve cheesecake ice cream drizzled with hot fudge sauce, or any kind of fruity dessert sauces such as slow cooker rhubarb strawberry sauce. Any jam, gently warmed in the microwave and spooned over the cheesecake ice cream, would also be delicious. Serve with a graham cracker tucked into the side of the dish!

How do you make homemade ice cream soft and creamy?

Heating the half-and-half and milk to 175 degrees—just below scalding—almost "magically" ensures a smoother texture to your ice cream, so be sure to heat the mixture to the right temperature. Heating to 175 degrees dissolves the sugar properly, which keeps the ice cream smooth and creamy, as it lowers the freezing point of liquids.

What are some mix-ins you can put in cheesecake ice cream?

If you trim the edges from your brownies, keep them in your freezer, and chop them into chunks to mix into your cheesecake ice cream. Stir in or sprinkle crushed graham crackers on top, swirl in your favorite fruit jam, or fold in fresh berries or cherries. If you love cream cheese, find more recipes that use a package of cream cheese.

Research contributed by Mark Neufang, Taste of Home Culinary Assistant

Nutrition Facts

1/2 cup: 273 calories, 16g fat (10g saturated fat), 87mg cholesterol, 135mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate (25g sugars, 0 fiber), 5g protein.