Ingredients
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The Fruit: 3/4 cup dark raisins, 1/3 cup dark rum, and 1 cinnamon stick.
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The Custard Base: 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt.
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The Richness: 5 large egg yolks and 1 tsp pure vanilla extract.
Preparation
1. Macerate the Raisins In a small saucepan, combine the raisins, rum, and cinnamon stick. Heat over low until the liquid is warm but not boiling. Remove from heat, cover, and let soak for at least 2 hours (ideally overnight). This ensures the raisins stay soft and plump even when frozen.
2. Infuse the Dairy In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, salt, and 1 cup of the heavy cream. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to steam.
3. Temper the Eggs Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl. To prevent “scrambling” the eggs, slowly pour about half a cup of the warm milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. Once combined, pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk.
4. Thicken the Custard Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant spatula. Continue until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil! Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl containing the remaining 1 cup of cold heavy cream. Stir in the vanilla extract.
5. Chill and Churn Chill the mixture in the refrigerator until completely cold (about 4–6 hours). Once chilled, remove the cinnamon stick from the raisins. Pour the custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. The Final Touch During the last 5 minutes of churning, add the rum-soaked raisins and any remaining liquid from the bowl. Transfer the soft ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours to firm up.
