White Chocolate Ice Cream with a Raspberry Swirl

So, here it is...the last of my summer posts. There is no doubt that summer is officially over in Fairbanks. The temperature sign registered 32 degrees Fahrenheit or the big 0 Celsius when I pulled into work this morning. That always catches me off guard this time of year. I run out of the house without my jacket, we live in the hills where it is warmer, and then I get to work and I am freezing by the time I get into the building. The days are still warm and sunny, so eating ice cream isn't out of the question. But then again, when is ice cream out of the question? Raspberries always remind me of warm summer days, so what better thing to eat when it is cold outside?
White Chocolate and Raspberries is one of my favorite flavor combinations. It reminds me of one of my favorite dessert restaurants of all-time. When I lived in Cincinnati, Ohio there was a place called "The Grand Finale". I hope it is still there because I loved their fresh raspberries with White Chocolate Mousse. This is the frozen version.

White Chocolate Ice Cream with a Raspberry Swirl
adapted from A Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Ice Cream
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream, divided
8 ounces  white chocolate, finely chopped
5 large egg yolks

Raspberry Swirl
1 1/2 cups Raspberries, fresh or frozen
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vodka

Warm the sugar, salt,  milk, and 1 cup of heavy cream in a medium saucepan.

Put the chopped white chocolate in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, then gradually add some of the cream mixture, whisking constantly as you pour in the warm cream. Pour the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Strain the custard into the white chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.  Add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and chill thoroughly. You can set the bowl over an ice bath to speed it up.

Chill mixture thoroughly. Before churning the ice cream, make the raspberry swirl by mashing the raspberries together with the sugar and vodka until they are juicy, but keeping nice sized chunks of raspberries. Chill for one hour or until ready to use. Freeze the ice cream mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As you remove it from the machine, layer it in the container with spoonfuls of the Raspberry Swirl mixture.