Rum Raisin Cheesecake Ice Cream

Another post on ice cream. But does anyone ever truly get tired of ice cream?

This is a perfect recipe. It really, really tastes like cheesecake, and the rum-soaked raisins are yum-tastic. I definitely could have doubled the raisins and been very happy. It firmed up nicely and worked well as a sugar-free concoction--my friends were amazed at the flavor. So was I--in fact, I think I'll go get some now. For breakfast.


Rum Raisin Cheesecake Ice Cream
makes 1 quart

1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 teaspoon dark rum
1 8-ounce package cream cheese (I used fat-free) at room temperature
1 cup sugar (I used sugar substitute)
1-1/2 cups sour cream (I used low fat)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine raisins and 1/4 cup rum in a small saucepan with a lid; set over medium heat to simmer until almost all of the rum has been absorbed. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a container, top with 1/4 tsp rum, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to get cold.

While the raisins are chilling in the fridge, combine cream cheese and sugar and blend well. Add sour cream, vanilla and lemon juice and mix to thoroughly incorporate. Cover mixture and refrigerate. When cold, transfer cream cheese mixture to your ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions, adding or folding in raisins last.

For my model, I ran it for 25 minutes, and then with the raisins for 5 more minutes. Enjoy ice cream immediately or pack in a container with a lid and freeze.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, there's no reason to not enjoy homemade ice cream! Try the method described in this post.