Berry Berry Cold

Good raspberry ice cream is becoming a rare treat. Buy any premium ice cream and you can choose from cookie dough, extra-strength chocolate or Oreo overdose. But just try to find a raspberry-packed vanilla ice cream.

Perhaps some pleasures are just too delicate to be packaged.

If you crave raspberry ice cream during the all-too-brief berry season, you’ll have to make it. It’s a simple recipe starting with a vanilla custard base that uses a high proportion of cream. The result is as much raspberries and cream as it is ice cream. However, you can substitute milk for the cream and still have an excellent flavor and consistency.

Inspired by the current style for excess in ice cream, I created Raspberry Ice Cream With Chocolate Chips. The recipe yields about two cups, enough for two raspberry lovers. For good results, use an excellent-quality chocolate or the ice cream will taste dull and chalky. If you’re a berry purist, omit the chocolate.

RASPBERRY ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS 1 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup milk Dash salt 2 egg yolks 1/2 cup Raspberry Puree 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup finely chopped semisweet chocolate

Combine cream, sugar, milk and salt in heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to simmer over low heat, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt.

Beat egg yolks in bowl. Pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup hot cream liquid into egg yolks, mixing constantly. Continue to mix constantly and pour egg yolk mixture back into pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened to consistency of thin pancake batter, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in raspberry puree and vanilla. Chill until cold, 1 to 2 hours.

Process mixture in ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s directions. When almost firm, stir in chocolate. Finish processing. Remove ice cream to freezer or serve. Makes about 2 cups, 2 to 3 servings.

Note: For chocolate, finely chop by hand 1 bar Lindt semisweet chocolate or comparable brand.

Raspberry Puree 1 cup loosely packed fresh raspberries

Process raspberries in food processor fitted with steel blade. If desired, strain raspberries through fine mesh strainer to remove seeds. Makes 1/2 cup.

Note: Frozen raspberries can be substituted, but choose unsweetened variety.