Buckeye Ice Cream

 Saturday I decided to make a batch of buckeye ice cream (rich and salty peanut butter ice cream with dark chocolate freckles for crunch). It was sooooooo good. No really, it was. My mother-in-law makes the candies for Christmas and this tasted just like them! Thank you Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream (and my Mom + Dad for getting me that cookbook) the recipes are excellent! My recipe for Buckeye Ice Cream follows:

Buckeye Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 c. whole milk

1 1/4 c. heavy cream

3 tbsp. cream cheese

1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 c. (heaping) creamy peanut butter

1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 c. granulated sugar

2 tbsp. light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. vanilla 

1 1/2 tbsp. honey

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I used a Ghiradelli 60% cocoa baking bar)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix 2 tbsp. of whole milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.

2. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, peanut butter, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

3. Combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup and honey in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat (make sure you are watching it so it doesn't boil up and over). Boil for 3-4 minutes and remove from heat. Add cornstarch mixture and return to heat for 1 minute, until thickened. Remove from heat.

4. Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese/peanut butter mixture. Whisk until completely smooth and silky. Pour mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and place in an ice bath or  in the refrigerator until cold, for approximately 30-35 minutes.

5. Prepare machine. Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister and begin to churn. Follow manufacture's instructions. (I used the KitchenAid attachment and mine only took about 15 minutes. Be careful not to overchurn! If you begin to notice buttery flakes forming it is overchurned!)

6. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double broiler and remove from heat to let cool. 

7. When the ice cream is thick and creamy and almost finished, drizzle the melted chocolate through the opening and allow to solidify. This will form the chocolate freckles. 

8. Remove ice cream and pack into an air-tight freezer safe container. Freeze for 3-4 hours before serving.