Homemade ice cream guys.  It's what summer should be about!  Remember back in the day when you had to use rock salt and churn it by hand and it required so much effort?  Yeah, ain't nobody got time for all that these days, even if it is still the best homemade vanilla ice cream I've ever tasted.  With today's ice cream maker's you can literally have ice cream with the flip of a switch and it taste amazing!  I honestly love making my own ice cream flavors.  It's so easy, and really does taste better than anything you can buy in the store!  My homemade cherry Nutella ice cream is an absolute must have ice cream flavor for this summer and you need to make it!

I mean hello, it has Nutella in it, which I am pretty sure you could put on a rock and I would try to eat it.  I actually started making a Nutella ice cream about two summers ago and it's still mine and Canean's favorite easy flavor to whip up.  And since fresh fruit like cherries and strawberries are transformed into a dessert with the dip of Nutella on them, I figured that cherries would be the perfect fruit to add to my original recipe!

Let's keep things real here.  Canean is a fruit in his ice cream kind of guy, I am NOT a fruit in my ice cream kind of girl...usually.  I have to tell you that this recipe might have just changed my mind on the whole idea though.  I made this batch of ice cream when Canean was out of town for the weekend and he actually only ate two servings when he got home because I ate the rest.  But you aren't judging me are you?  I mean hello what was I thinking leaving myself alone at home, while pregnant, with a new batch of homemade ice cream??  No will power.

I am just telling you that this combination of creamy ice cream with chunks of frozen sweet cherries, and swirls of nutella is dynamite and if I were you I would run out to the store and get the ingredients so that you can make this ice cream immediately!  

My only suggestion is that you have plenty of people to share with, otherwise you will find yourself like me, having eaten the whole batch by yourself...

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of Cherries, pitted and diced
• 1 Cup of Nutella
• 3 Eggs
• 1 1/2 Cup of Whole Milk
• 2 Cups of Heavy Cream
• 1 Cup of Sugar

Directions:

• In a saucepan, add your milk and sugar and simmer over medium heat until sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally.  You want the milk to get hot but not come to a boil.
• Separate egg yolks into a small bowl and whisk well.  (You can save the whites for a healthy egg scramble.)
• Once sugar has dissolved into the milk, add a ladle full of the warm sugar milk to the egg yolks, stirring constantly.  This is tempering the egg yolks so that they won't curdle when you add them into the milk.
• Repeat this step about 3 times and then slowly whisk the eggs into the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan. 
• Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. (Test this  by running your finger down the back of the spoon, if the line stays, you are good to go!)
• After mixture thickens, pour heavy cream into a freezer safe container.  Strain the thickened milk into the heavy cream and stir well to combine.  You want to make sure and strain the mixture to ensure a smooth ice cream base.  There will be little bits of curdling that you will see in the strainer and this is normal.
• Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• When ready to make your ice cream, pour ice cream base into the maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.
• After about 25-30 minutes when your ice cream is thickened and almost done, add in your cherries and nutella a little at a time until well combined.
• Transfer back to the same freezer safe container.  Place a layer of parchment over top to prevent freezer burn and freeze for at least an hour before serving.

Guys!  I know I tell you to make everything I make, but I'm being serious this time, you HAVE to make this ice cream!  It's totally going to rock your face off in the best way possible!