Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Blackberry Jam Swirl

 I'm anxious to transition to the Fall season with all of its deliciously comforting recipes, but I wanted to share one more fun recipe to celebrate the end of Summer...a last hurrah of sorts.

This ice cream highlights two of the season's peak ingredients- corn and blackberries- and although the pairing is a bit unexpected, the end result is simply fabulous. The essence of ripe, sweet corn in this silky ice cream is punctuated by bright berry accents from the jam. What grows together goes together, as I like to say!

For the blackberry jam swirl I reached out to Arian and Chris Blanco, proprietors of Sweet Lady Cook. They produce small, artisanal batches of seasonal jams and share a passion for good food made from quality ingredients. The produce that goes into their products is all locally sourced from farms in Santa Barbara County, allowing them to create preservative-free jams from premium organic fruits. Current seasonal flavors include Lane Late Navel Marmalade, Orange Lavender Jelly and Strawberry Habanero Jam- I'm dying to try them all! Arian was kind enough to make me a custom batch of this blackberry jam especially for this recipe, and I was so impressed by the intense fruit flavor that I have yet to taste in any other jam. Most other jams and jellies are overpowered by a cloying sweetness, but these have an unmistakably fresh quality that is just wonderful.

Sweet Lady Cook jams are available for sale on their website (as well as locally at Isabella Gourmet Foods, Rori's Artisanal Creamery and Crazy Good Bread Co.) and they are just as delicious spread on a slice of buttered toast as they are swirled into your last homemade ice cream of the season!

makes 1 quart
Ingredients
3 ears yellow corn, kernels removed from cobs and cobs reserved
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar, divided
6 egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 jar blackberry jam

Instructions
1. Place corn kernels, corn cobs, cream, milk and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 1 hour.
2. Remove cobs and puree mixture in a blender. Strain through a mesh strainer, pressing on solids with a wooden spoon, and return to saucepan. Bring to a boil, taking care not to scald mixture, and remove from heat.
3. Combine egg yolks, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl and whisk until mixture is thick and pale yellow.
4. Slowly add 1 cup of hot cream mixture to egg mixture, whisking constantly, then add egg mixture to saucepan and simmer over low heat, stirring often, until mixture reaches 160-170 degrees. Add vanilla extract and stir to incorporate.
5. Chill custard in refrigerator or an ice bath, then freeze in an ice cream mixture. When frozen, transfer ice cream to a quart container, adding dollops of blackberry jam intermittently throughout and stirring gently to create swirls.