I recently got the smart scoop ice cream maker by sage appliances and could not wait to get it out of the box and try out my first ice cream recipe. I decided on a soft scoop type of ice cream that was made with goats cheese and honey with a blueberry and rhubarb basil compote swirled throughout it. the blueberries rhubarb and basil where all grown in my garden so it made it a bit extra special. this year I have been growing quite a few fruits, vegetables and herbs in my garden so I was really excited to use all my produce. the honey in the ice cream is what gives it a sort set texture like a mr whippy ice cream (if you can find your piping nozzles unlike me)

the machine was amazing, and so easy to use, I have had a small ice cream maker in the past that you put the bucket part in the freezer before using it, but when our big freezer broke last year we replaced it with a smaller freezer and the bucket no longer fitted in the drawer of the freezer, so this machine is perfect as it is all done in the machine so no need to waste freezer space with annoying buckets. if you are on the look out for a new machine I highly recommend the smart scoop, it automatically senses how hard the mixture is depending on your setting selection then keeps it at the right consistency for up to 3 hours. There are also 12 hardness settings to choose from so you can choose from sorbet, frozen yogurt, gelato and ice cream. for this recipe I set it to ice cream and in between soft and hard so it was perfect. I made a little video of it mixing below, its really relaxing to sit a watch it churning.

Makes about 3 cups, 6-8 servings  adapted from the bojon gourmet

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 ounces fresh goat cheese (about 2/3 c crumbled / 85 grams), softened
• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces / 300 mL) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup honey (6 ounces / 170 grams)
• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces / 300 mL) whole milk

for the swirl

• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 stalk of rhubarb
• 3 tbsp. chopped basil
• 4 tbsp. runny honey

Place the softened goat cheese in a medium bowl, and gradually whisk in the cream until smooth.

Place the egg yolks in another medium bowl. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the milk with the honey and salt until hot, stirring frequently. Don’t let the mixture simmer or boil or the acids in the honey could cause the milk to curdle. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pot and cook over a low flame, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens slightly Immediately pour into the goat cheese mixture and whisk for a minute or two. chill the mixture overnight. When the mixture is chilled, churn it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. once the ice cream is done then fold through the blue-barb basil swirl, (see bellow) Scrape the ice cream into a pan, cover with a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper pressed directly to the surface of the ice cream, and freeze until firm, 3 hours or up to a month or two.

for the swirl chop the rhubarb in to small chunks and add into the pan with the blueberries and honey and basil and stir to combine, let simmer until it has reduced and become jam like.