Skip Ben and Jerry’s and make your own Cherry Garcia Ice Cream!

I had a fabulous birthday. My boys were kind and thoughtful and generous to me, as they always are. I was impressed that Elijah remembered that it was my birthday the first thing in the morning, with no prompting. “Mom! Today is Monday! IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY!” Awww. Once my fun day was done, I was left with the realization that I am one year older. Elijah keeps asking me, “Mom, you are 37 now?” Yes, sweetie, thanks for that constant reminder.

Dan and I usually don’t make cakes for each other on our birthdays. Maybe that will change as the boys get older, but I am fine with it. I was especially fine with it this year since I had a freezer full of Homemade Cherry Garcia Ice Cream to eat! This was my first time using my brand spankin’ new ice cream maker, and I could not have begun my ice-cream-making hobby on a more delicious note.

I had a bag full of Bing cherries in the fridge, so it made perfect sense to try to copy one of my most favorite ice cream flavors of all time. This tastes just like Ben & Jerry’s version, and I’m not kidding. The only downside is that there are uncooked eggs in it, so substitute with egg beaters if this is a concern for you.

HOW TO MAKE CHERRY GARCIA ICE CREAM

Place the shaved chocolate and cherries in separate bowls. Refrigerate.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the sugar until blended, and then for an additional minute. Add cream and milk and whisk to blend.
Place bowl in refrigerator until ready to make ice cream. Add the mixture to an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s directions to churn ice cream. Approximate churning time: 25 minutes. Two minutes before ice cream is finished church, add the chocolate shavings and cherries.
Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours.

OTHER DELICIOUS FRUIT RECIPES TO TRY

No Bake Strawberry Pie – This no-bake, FRESH Strawberry Pie is a great dessert for gatherings of any kind. It is super easy to prepare and it is packed with delicious strawberry flavor!
Easy Apple Pie – Here’s a little secret…this is the cheater version of Apple Pie! But no one will ever know. The crust is buttery-crispy and the insides are weak-in-the-knees delicious.
Lemon Ice Box Pie – The perfect compliment to the zest of lemon is the graham cracker crust. A citrus flavored cream pie is delightful and so delicious. A small slice goes a long way in flavor, it’s the perfect summer treat!
Berry Slab Pie – Make pie the EASY way by piling delicious pie filling into puff pastry sheets! Use any kind of berry filling for this recipe. Apples and cherries work great, too! This yummy Slab Pie is done in under 30 minutes and you can cut shapes of your choice into the dough to match the occasion.
Fruit Pizza – the classic, crowd-pleasing Fruit Pizza has a cookie dough crust, dreamy cream cheese frosting and a colorful top layer of fruit and a tasty glaze. Let your creative side shine while decorating your pizza and enjoy popping a bite of fresh fruit into your mouth.
Apricot Cheesecake Pockets – These apricot gems are fruity, cheesy and super yummy! Bring these to your next party for a bit of a cookie twist!