Be Grateful for Ice Cream ;)

I am one of the world's biggest Cherry Garcia fans so I've been really wanting to try to make it at home (hubby got me the Ben and Jerry's ice cream recipe book for my birthday last year).

The ice cream is really yummy but I don't think it tastes anything like Cherry Garcia! lol :)
I do have some ideas about that so I'll have to try it again soon. First, I used dried cherries since fresh ones aren't available and when I think of canned cherries, I think of that gooey (not in a good way) cherry pie filling. Yikes! I will try it again with fresh once those are in season. Also, one of my friends suggested using some cherry brandy either in the ice cream base or just poured on top. Will have to try that one, too. :)
This version is more Coldstone than Cherry Garcia. It's a great sweet base with cherries and chocolate chunks mixed in!

Makes 1 Grateful Quart (yes, I ripped that off from the Ben & Jerry's book..)

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks (I just chopped chunks off a bar of chocolate)
1/4 cup cherries, chopped (I used dried but will use fresh next time)

Method:
1. Whisk the eggs and sugar in the bowl of the KA mixer using the wire whisk attachment. Turn the mixer to speed 2 and let it run for about 30 seconds or until the eggs and sugar are slightly thickened.

2. Keep the mixer running at speed 2 while you add in the heavy cream and milk. Let it run until it's all well-mixed.

3. Pour the egg-sugar-milk-cream mixture into a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom. Cook over medium heat until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the mixture and you can see steam rising from the liquid. Do not let it boil! Transfer this mixture into a glass bowl then cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

4. Once the base has thoroughly chilled, attach the frozen ice cream attachment bowl to the KA mixer (make sure it has had at least 15 hours in the freezer). Turn the mixer to speed 1 (STIR). While the dasher is spinning, carefully pour the ice cream base into the ice cream freezer bowl (it's best to use a measuring jug for this part). Let the mixture stir for 15-20 minutes. Add in the chocolate chunks and cherries during the last 2 minutes of stir time.

5. Transfer the ice cream to freezer-safe containers and allow to freeze to desired consistency.

Have a grateful day ;)

References:
Based on the Cherry Garcia recipe from Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield with Nancy J. Stevens.
I used the French Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from the little book that came with my KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment but just to figure out the cooking times (I'm really sketchy about raw egg [why do you think I love vegan baking so much?!] and the B&J book didn't cook their base).