Bubblegum Ice Cream

Blue bubble gum ice cream was IT for me when I was a kid.

Rainbow sherbet? No thanks. You can have your Rocky Road... Bubble gum ice cream topped the charts. And not just any one, the blue kind. 

Which apparently manufacturers thought was in short supply because they hoarded that stuff. I knew of one location when I was younger and I would beg my parents to take me. Unfortunately, it was a good hour away.

But you know when you are alone and you're like:
"mom, lets get donuts" and she says... 
"no! eat your carrots" 
"for breakfast?" 
"don't ask questions!!"

But if your friends are over she's like... 

"Of course honey, what kind!?" psh... 

I eventually became privy to that game so when my cousin was here I knew she'd never say no!

To this day my cousin and my favorite ice cream is still blue bubble gum. And when I was pregnant with my second son the craving struck.... I wish I could say I was motivated enough at 7 months to make homemade ice cream but I won't lie to all of you. I was lucky enough to find it at our local grocery store here and it was fantastic.

This will sound funny tho. I was never keen on those HUGE gumballs sitting there all frozen in my ice cream. I avoid anything that stands in my way of NOT having to chew. I did love picking them all out and setting them aside and then when everyone was done with their ice cream treat, I still had mine! Muahahaha....

So for my ice cream recipe I found these awesome little gum "nuggets" that wont hurt if you swallow them (and I refuse to believe they sit in my stomach for 7 years...)

*WARNING: The bubblegum base may cause sticking to your pan, I experienced this with my own. As this is bubblegum, please don't use your favorite pan! Also, nonstick helps!*

Ice Cream Base:
2 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Blue or red extract, depending what color you want
12 pieces Dubble Bubble
Gumballs, nuggets, Chiclets.... the options are endless!

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together all of the ingredients up to the Dubble Bubble. Make sure everything is combined and starting to warm through. 
2. Add in the pieces of bubble gum and bring to a light boil. Whisk until the gum is practically melted and the base has started to thicken. 
3. Remove from heat and place in a sturdy container. Cover and place in the fridge until completely cold. A minimum of 6 hours but I think overnight is best. 
4. You might notice a lot of the gum particles have sunken to the bottom but using a fine mesh strainer pour the base through to remove any remaining.
5. Pour your base into an ice cream maker and churn for a good 30 minutes. If you are adding in smaller pieces of gum, pour in during the last 10 minutes of churning. Otherwise if using the bigger gum balls combine with the ice cream once churning process is finished. 
6. For a "soft serve" feel eat once it's finished otherwise, I like to freeze mine for a good 2 hours more. 

I realize you're all thinking "What difference in flavor does the food coloring make?" "Why would pink taste any different than blue?"

It wouldn't.... OK!? But there's nothing more satisfactory than a blue ring around your mouth! SO it's still my favorite.

The base has a full bubble gum flavor so gum balls aren't even necessary! Enjoy this today!

(By the way... The first 6 ingredients make a great base for any flavor of ice cream. The options are endless!)

*notice happy blue ring around mouth!!*