Blue Cheese Ice Cream

Use a blue cheese you enjoy; the flavor profile of the cheese will come through in the ice cream. A blue d'Auvergne would be mild, slightly spicy and slightly sweet; a Gorgonzola would be bold, intense and complex. A Danish bleu would be the mildest choice; the milder cheeses will need less sugar. Adapted from a recipe at Serious Eats. http://bit.ly/fawLd8

• Ready In: 4 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 qt

Ingredients

• 1  quart half-and-half (or 1 pint milk and 1 pint heavy cream)
• 1  tablespoon  whole  white peppercorns or 1  tablespoon  cracked  white peppercorns
• 5  ounces blue cheese, crumbled
• 1⁄2-3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

1. Cook the half and half over medium-low heat with the peppercorns until hot to the touch. Put about 2/3 of the crumbled cheese into a mixing bowl, and pour the hot half and half through a strainer over the cheese, add the sugar and lemon juice and whisk until all the chunks (cheese, sugar) are dissolved. Chill overnight, or at least four hours.
2. Before spinning in your machine, mix in the reserved chunks of bleu cheese. Spin according to manufacturers instructions, and then serve it to your friends but don't tell them what flavor it is.