Dark chocolate chopped from a bar, oranges zested and juiced, and dark sour cherries reconstituted with the orange juice. Add these to a base of incredibly rich and creamy Vanilla Frozen Custard and you have this amazing Orange, Chocolate & Dark Cherry Frozen Custard.

With only five ingredients: milk, cream, sugar, yolks and vanilla bean, this frozen custard base is an amazing Vanilla Frozen Custard. It’s the perfect example of how simplicity beats out complex recipes and shows us that when quality, fresh ingredients are combined properly, the simplest recipe can result in perfection. I use this base for a variety of flavors and it is perfect every time.

There are over 150 species of vanilla orchids, however, the vanilla beans used commercially for cooking come from only two species Tahitian Vanilla beans and the Madagascar or Bourbon Vanilla beans, which are the same as the Mexican Vanilla. The Tahitian beans are short and plump with thin skin and few beans with a floral almost fruity aroma and high oil content. Bourbon Beans are long and slender with a thick oily skin and a larger quantity of seeds, with a very rich smell a taste. Both the seeds and the skin have a tremendous amount of flavor and if a recipe calls for vanilla, it is always better to use the actual bean as opposed to an extract, and please, never use imitation vanilla. Imitation vanilla is a purely synthetic substance, which has been chemically treated to taste like vanilla extract. Imitation vanilla also has a harsh quality and a bitter aftertaste that make it unsuitable for any reason.

Here’s how I make Orange, Chocolate & Dark Cherry Frozen Custard:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Pint Heavy Cream
• 1 Pint Whole Milk
• 1 Vanilla Bean, split and seeds scraped
• ¾ Cup Sugar
• 8 Egg Yolks
• ½ Cup Orange Juice
• ¼ Cup Orange Zest
• 6 Ounces Dark Chocolate, chopped
• 8 Ounces Dried Cherries

PROCESS:

-Zest and juice the oranges, the number of oranges varies based on size

-Add juice to the dried cherries and microwave for 1 minute, cover and let reconstitute

-Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites, save the egg whites to make the Meyer Lemon & Chocolate Swirl Meringue Cookies

-Place the yolks in a large enough bowl to whisk the yolks

-Add the heavy cream, milk, sugar, zest and vanilla bean to a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir frequently and heat until it starts to gently foam around the edges

-Remove the cream mixture from the heat

-Add 1 cup of the hot mixture to the egg yolks and immediately whisk to incorporate, continue adding hot mixture and whisking until all the mixture is in the yolks. It’s important to whisk thoroughly so as to not cook scrambled the eggs

-Return the mixture to the saucepan, over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for approximately 2 minutes

-To test for doneness, dip a wooden spoon in the mixture and draw your finger through the mix when done, the mix will leave a solid line and doesn’t run.

-Pour the mixture through a fine strainer into a small bowl and cool in an ice bath

-To make an ice bath, fill a large bowl with ice and a little water, place the small bowl with the hot mixture in the ice and let cool, stirring occasionally.

-Once cool, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard, refrigerate until completely cool

-Add the excess orange juice from the cherries to the custard

-Process the custard in an ice cream machine based on the manufacturer’s instructions

-Once the custard is finished in the machine, stir in the cherries and most of the chopped chocolate, reserve ½ cup for garnish

-Freeze until solid, usually overnight