Toasted Almond Candied Cherry Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream

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Toasted Almond, Candied Cherry, Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream. It's a mouthful. It's a spoonful. It's... incredible.

Wow. Just.... just wow.

If you have access to cherries (um... check), and have an ice cream loving husband (double check), and have a great ice cream maker (triple check), then please make this. Please.

Your husband will thank you.

Your mouth will thank you.

You'll thank yourself.

It'll be a thankfest.

Why are you still reading this?? GO MAKE IT.

Then you can come back and thank me.

Without further ado:

Toasted Almond, Candied Cherry, Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream
Adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Make each element separately and preferably well ahead of time. Then assemble towards the end of making the ice cream. Or you can just make vanilla ice cream and use these all as toppings for an incredible sundae!

Toasted Almonds:  

Preheat oven to 350°. Place 1 cup of almonds on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. They're done when you bite into one and it's golden throughout.

(To add it to the ice cream: In the last 5-10 minutes of freezing the ice cream in the maker, add the chopped almonds).

Candied Sweet Cherries:

• 1 lb. cherries, fresh or frozen
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 drop almond extract

     Remove the stems and pit the cherries. Heat the cherries, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a large nonreactive saucepan or skillet until the liquid starts to boil.
     Turn down the heat and simmer for 25 minutes (stirring frequently the last 10 minutes to ensure even cooking and no sticking).
     Once the syrup is reduced to the consistency of maple syrup, remove the pan from the heat, add the almond extract, and let the cherries cool in their syrup.

(To add to the ice cream: Drain the cherries in a strainer for about an hour [reserve the syrup for topping]. Coarsely chop the drained cherries and fold them into 1 quart of ice cream right before you remove it from the machine).

Optional Tip: To pit cherries, use a metal cake decorating tip (Wilton #12 or smaller works well), put through the stem side and the pit will pop out the other side.

Unhealthy (But Healthier than Hershey's) Chocolate Fudge Sauce

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process is best)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

      Whisk together everything but vanilla. Heat in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking until the mixture starts to bubble at the edges.
     Continue to whisk until it just comes to a low boil. Cook for one minute, whisking frequently. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, let cool and chill in refrigerator before using.

(To mix it in: The Chocolate Fudge Sauce should be thoroughly chilled, as it's easiest to use when it's very cold. Just before you remove the ice cream from the machine, spoon some of the fudge ripple onto the bottom of the storage container. As you remove the ice cream from the machine, layer generous spoonfuls of the sauce between layers of ice cream. Avoid stirring it in, as it will make the ice cream muddy looking).

Ice Cream Itself

There are too many great recipes for ice cream. Use your favorite vanilla recipe.