If I could choose only one fruit to eat for the rest of my life, it would be cherries. Each summer, I look forward to finally buying them again! And more importantly: eating as much of them as I can, because they are only available for two months. That's what is so sad about them, but it makes me love them even more as soon as I can finally eat them.

I dare to admit that I would probably love anything with cherries in it. Just name one thing with cherries that is not delicious. I know, you can't find one. Just because cherries are a-ma-zing. As you might still remember, I got an ice cream maker a while ago. The first recipe I tried out was for frozen yogurt and while it was very delicious, I wanted to try out a 'real' ice cream recipe.


Each recipe I came across looked good, but it wasn't mindblowing. Until I saw a cherry ice cream recipe. That was it. I knew I had found it. Without even double checking the amounts, I went out to buy everything so I could make that ice cream as soon as possible!


Although making ice cream takes quite a while (heating up the milk first and then letting it cool), it is a peaceful process. I love pouring everything in my ice cream maker and just hear it doing his thing (is it a he?). The only thing I hadn't checked: my ice cream maker is big enough to hold 900 ml, but not more. It does fit, but they do not recommend it because it will take much longer to stir.

Of course I hadn't noticed and I poured in all of my soon-to-be ice cream. I must add this: it was 10 PM. Don't ask me why I did that, I was just craving those cherries. Usually, it takes 20 - 40 minutes to stir completely - I was still in the kitchen at 11.30PM. Nevertheless, it was very much worth it and I honestly think this ice cream is delicious. It actually is vanilla ice cream with cherries, but that is just perfect. And no, it doesn't matter that it is getting cooler, you can eat ice cream all year round.

Ingredients
for more than 900 ml

• 750 ml (3 cups) full-fat milk
• 1 vanilla-pod
• 200 ml full-fat cream
• 6 egg yolks
• 400 grams granulated sugar
• 375 grams cherries
• 250 ml (1 cup) water
• 50 ml (1/5 cup) kirsch, I used cherry juice which worked fine

Cut open the vanilla-pod and scrape out the inside. Heat up the pod with the inside, milk and 100 grams sugar until it is almost boiling.

Mix the egg yolks with 100 grams sugar into a white foamy mixture. While stirring, add in the hot milk and mix very thoroughly. Transfer into the pot again. Put on low-medium fire and heat up, while continuously stirring, until almost boiling.

Put a spoon in the mixture. Take it out and draw a line (with your finger) on the back of the spoon, the round side. When this line stays visible, the mixture is ready. When it isn't, let it thicken up without boiling, while stirring.  Take off the fire.

Let cool with the lid on to prevent a skin from forming. When cooled, mix through the cream. Let cool of further in the fridge. Remove the vanilla-pod. Put in your ice-cream maker and freeze according the instructions.

Boil the water with 200 grams of sugar and add the kirsch. Put in the (clean) cherries and poach them for 15 minutes. Sift all of it and make sure you keep the sugar syrup. Let it boil until it is a proper syrup. Add in 3/4 of the cherries at the end of the freezing and let the ice cream cool for 2 hours.

Serve in a pretty bowl with the rest of the cherries and the syrup. Enjoy!