Ben & Jerry's Original Recipe: Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

A few weeks back, I have posted the below picture with a question on twitter, "What do you think I am making today?"

Sadly, no one has come up with a correct answer. Now I shall reveal that I was making Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia Ice-Cream.

When I mentioned previously that my fellow blogger friend Trissa has quite an impressive collection of cookbooks, I really meant it. Take a look at this quirky one she has collected over the years:

I couldn't stop laughing when she handed me this cookbook. Have a look at some of the pages:

This cookbook couldn't have come at a better time. I have invited a group of 15 female food bloggers over for lunch and Sarah from One Green Bean was kind enough to sponsor 5 tubs of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream for the luncheon.

Since my favourite Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavour Cherry Garcia (this flavour is rated as one of the Ben & Jerry's 11 greatest hits along side with their Heath Bar Crunch, Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, New York Super Fudge Chunk, French Vanilla, Butter Pecan, Dastardly Mash, Fresh Georgia Peach, Raspberry, Mocha Swiss Chocolate Almond & Oreo Mint) is not sold in the tub, I have decided to make it using the recipe available from Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and Dessert Book.

I couldn't resist but to pick another recipe from the book - Chocolate Peanut-Butter Cup Brownies - the sweet and saltiness of these brownies become the perfect companion to the Ben & Jerry's ice cream for the luncheon. (*I will post the brownies recipe later this week).

Here comes the recipe for Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream and food porn from the luncheon. Enjoy!

Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia Ice Cream Recipe

(Makes grateful 1 quart)

Ben & Jerry - "A couple of Dead Heads in Maine sent us a postcard with a name for a new flavor. They left the recipe up to us. We got to work with some fresh bing cherries and threw in the chocolate flakes as a last minute inspiration. At last report, both Jerry Garcia and his wife Carolyn are crazy about it."

Ingredients

1/4 cup shaved plain chocolate (B&J prefer Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate candy bars. I couldn't find them in Sydney, I replaced them with Hershey Milk Chocolate candy bars)

1/4 cup fresh Bing cherries, halved and pitted (you may use canned cherries, but see sure to drain the syrup)

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups heavy or whipping cream

1 cup milk

Method

1. Place the shaved chocolate flakes and the cherries in separate bowls. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whish in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend.
3. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions.
4. After the ice cream stiffen (about 2 minutes before it is done), add the chocolate and the cherries, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

Food porn from the luncheon:

Kapitan Chicken Curry contributed by me (Recipe HERE)

Beef Rendang contributed by me (Recipe HERE)

Sambal Chilli with Ground Anchovies contributed by me (Recipe HERE)

Nasi Lemak and Deep Fried Anchovies with Toasted Peanut contributed by me

Kerabu Nenas (Pineapple salad with chilli, coriander, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar) contributed by me

Smokey Chorizo and Capsicum contributed by Trissa from Trissalicious

Neil Perry's Chicken Wings contributed by Trissa from Trissalicious

Rossini, Bean and Feta Cheese Salad contributed by Minh from Eat Show & Tell

Bourke Street Bakery's Fig Bread contributed by Betty from The Hungry Girl

Chocolate Bowls (made by dipping balloon in melted chocolate) with Brownies, Mixed Berries and Cream contributed by Suze from Chocolatesuze (Recipe HERE)

Popcorn Cupcakes contributed by Helen from Grab Your Fork (Recipe HERE)

We witnessed the making of Croquembouche by Karen from Citrus and Candy with help from Linda from Eat Show & Tell (Recipe HERE)

Bourke Street Bakery's Tarts contributed by Betty from The Hungry Girl

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries contributed by Teresa from Eat Show & Tell

Chewy Salted Caramels contributed by Belle from Ooh, Look... (Recipe HERE)

Muffins contributed by Belle from Ooh, Look...

Thomas Keller's Lemon Tart contributed by Linda from Eat, Show and Tell

Lemon Tart contributed by Lisa from Spicy Ice Cream

Bankstwon's Baklava contributed by Jen from Jenius and Minh from Eat Show & Tell

Ferrero Rocher Tart contributed by Trissa from Trissalicious (Recipe HERE)

Ghermez's Cupcakes contributed by Leona from Pigged-Out

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies contributed by Belle from Ooh, Look... (Recipe HERE)

If you are still wondering what did the ever creative Steph from Raspberri Cucpakes contribute (along with Karen) to the luncheon...... here is the answer:

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A Plate of Eye Candy!!

And I like it very much.