Lately, the urge to make all sorts of ice cream has hit me, and now that I've got my own ice cream maker, the possibilities are endless. This is a very basic recipe taking the concept for one of my favorite things, cheesecake, and turning it into another one of my favorite things, which is, of course, ice cream. There are only 7 ingredients in it, and my version lightens things up just a tiny bit by reducing a little of the saturated fat by using Neufchâtel cream cheese and fat free sour cream, and cutting back on the sugar by using Truvia Baking Blend. There's no loss of flavor in using reduced fat ingredients here, but I wouldn't recommend using fat free cream cheese, as it might change the texture a little and cause more ice crystals to form, which is what tends to happen when nonfat dairy is used. This is excellent alone, but consider drizzling it with a from-scratch raspberry or mixed berry sauce, or perhaps some chocolate syrup.
Cheesecake Ice Cream
12 oz. Neufchâtel cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into 2" pieces
½ cup Truvia Baking Blend (or, 1 cup granulated sugar)
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
¼ cup fat free sour cream (can also use full fat, or reduced fat)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until it is very smooth. Gradually add the sugar and salt, beating until the mixture is uniform. Add the mascarpone and mix until well-combined. Slowly add the milk and vanilla, mixing until incorporated. On the lowest speed of the mixer, add the sour cream and blend until everything is totally fluid and smooth.
Note that cream cheese can be notoriously difficult to work with, even when at room temperature. You may end up with tiny lumps of cream cheese even if it's really been well beaten. What you will want to do at this point is pour the mixture through a fine strainer into another bowl, and eliminate the lumps. This is the only way you will ensure your final product will be incredibly smooth and creamy.
When you have strained the mixture and removed all particles, cover the bowl and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight. It's personal preference that overnight is better.
When you are ready to make the ice cream, turn on your ice cream maker and pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and mix until thickened - usually about 15 to 20 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft and creamy texture. If you like it at the soft serve stage, serve the ice cream immediately. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container (cannot stress this enough) and place in the freezer for about 2 hours, or until ready to serve. Remove from the freezer about 15 minutes before you're ready to serve it.
Consider drizzling a fresh, homemade raspberry sauce on top of each serving, or perhaps drizzle on some chocolate sauce. You could even try adding small chocolate chunks to the mixture about 5 minutes before it's done, for some added decadence.
Makes about 5 cups (10 ½-cup servings)
