Roasted Cherry Vanilla Bourbon Ice Cream

The perfect treat for a hot summer’s day. This recipe is super easy to make and roasting the cherries makes all the difference! Top it off with the cherry undertones of Tongan vanilla beans and extract, you’ll be in ice cream heaven! Give it a try. You won't regret it!

Ingredients:

For roasted cherries:

-3 cups cherries

-1 Tbsp of agave nectar

-1 Tbsp of bourbon

For the vanilla ice cream:

-2 cups heavy cream

-2 cups half and half

-1/2 cup granulated sugar

-1 Tbsp VanillaPura Tongan/bourbon vanilla extract

-1 Tongan vanilla bean

-Pinch of salt

-1 Tbsp of bourbon optional ( keeps the ice cream from becoming to hard )

Instructions:

For the roasted cherries:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.  Pit the cherries, place them on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Dust the cherries with the sugar and bourbon.

Bake for 15 minutes, shaking the pan to move the cherries every 5 minutes, until the cherries have released their juices and are beginning to give way.  Cool slightly then coarsely chop them.  Reserve the cherries and the juices.

For the vanilla ice cream:

In a large bowl, whisk the ice cream base ingredients together for at least 2 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved.  Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

Once the ice cream is churned, place half the ice cream base in the bottom of a 9x5 loaf pan, add half the cherries on top, then add the rest of the ice cream followed by the rest of the cherries and their juices.  Carefully fold in the cherries into the base with a knife until you are satisfied with the design.

Freeze for at least 4 hours. 
Enjoy!