RE2PECT Ice Cream (vanilla ice cream with peanuts, cracker jacks and fudge swirls)

RE2PECT 

As an ode to Derek Jeter's last home game at Yankee Stadium, I decided to make an ice cream in his honor. RE2PECT Ice Cream is vanilla ice cream with peanuts, cracker jacks and fudge swirls.

My reasons for making RE2PECT Ice Cream were two fold. First and foremost, as a life long Yankee fan, I felt I had to do something to honor the career long Yankee. Second, this weekend my husband and I are running in the Bronx 10 Mile race. I thought I would combine my two favorite passions, running and ice cream eating, by making an ice cream flavor that represents my run in the Bronx. The first thing I think of when I think of the Bronx is the Bronx Bombers. The ultimate Bronx Bomber of my generation is Derek Jeter (though I will always have a soft spot for the Yankees of my childhood, such as: Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez, Paul O'Neil, Wade Boggs and Don Mattingly), hence the birth of RE2PECT Ice Cream.

For those of you who would like to make this recipe at home, I used the Cuisinart Simple Vanilla Recipe as my base. This is the same recipe I was going to use the night I made the sweet cream ice cream, except this time I had the vanilla.

Vanilla Ice Cream base (as seen in Cuisinart Recipe Booklet):
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/8 cups granulated sugar
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract (I only used 1 tablespoon)

Add-ins:
1/2 cup of honey roasted peanuts
1/2 cup of cracker jacks (or caramel popcorn)
fudge (to taste)

In a medium bowl use an electric beater to mix together the milk and granulated sugar. This should take about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the heavy cream and vanilla while continuing to beat the mixture until it is thick and creamy. Afterwards, pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and churn for about 20 minutes.

As the ice cream is churning, use a food processor to chop the honey roasted peanuts and cracker jacks. If you want a crunchy texture, pulse the peanuts and cracker jacks. If you would like a smoother texture, then grind them until they are fine. After the ice cream has churned for 20 minutes, add in the grounded peanuts and cracker jacks. Add in as much fudge as desired as well. Churn for another 10 minutes and then put the mixture into the freezer for at least two hours before serving.

This ice cream is quite tasty. The peanuts provide a nice crunchy texture, but are well balanced by the sweet caramel popcorn and fudge. It is the exact kind of ice cream I would like to eat on a hot summer's day while enjoying a Yankee game with the bleacher creatures in the Bronx. The only thing that I am slightly disappointed by is that the vanilla ice cream absorbed the fudge. While you can taste the fudge, the fudge swirls that I wanted in the ice cream to represent the Yankee pinstripes are not visible. Ultimately, however, RE2PECT Ice Cream is as good as its namesake. The legend lives!

Also, for those of you keeping track, the chocolate ice cream from last week was delicious. I do not usually like chocolate ice cream, but I found this recipe delicious and well worth the wait. It is rich, decadent and will fulfill any chocolate craving you have.

Until next time, keep calm and get your ice cream eating on.