RED RASPBERRY AND GOAT CHEESE ICE CREAM

This ice cream is made the old-fashioned way, which takes a little extra time, but trust me, it is completely worth the effort. The goat cheese is my little tangy secret, which also helps give the ice cream a luscious, creamy texture. This ice cream pairs perfectly with my Lemony White Chocolate Chip Cookies (page 252) for delicious ice-cream sandwiches.

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

6 large egg yolks

2 ¼ cups half-and-half

3 ounces goat cheese, softened

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ounces raspberries

In a large glass bowl whisk together ¾ cup of the sugar and the egg yolks until the mixture becomes pale yellow and light in texture. Pour the half-and-half into a medium saucepan, and heat it over medium heat until it begins to foam on the edges. Remove the pan from the heat, and slowly pour the hot half-and-half into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly.

Place the glass bowl over a saucepan with 2 inches of simmering water, and add the goat cheese. Cook and stir the custard until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan, and add the salt and vanilla.

Let the custard cool to room temperature. Cover it with plastic wrap, allowing the wrap to touch the custard to keep a film from forming, and place it in the refrigerator until it’s completely chilled. Pour the chilled custard into a 1 ½-quart ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Lightly mash together the raspberries and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Once the ice cream is the consistency of soft serve, swirl in the raspberry mixture, being careful not to overmix it. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS.