Grape Nut Ice Cream

Grape Nut Ice Cream from Toscanini's

This recipe was originally part of my final, winning Round 10 post for Project Food Blog. I have decided to split it out so it's easier to find! This is my favorite ice cream, and thus I look it up a lot!

Toscanini’s is my all time favorite ice cream place in Boston. We used to have one on my college campus and I used to go there all the time (hello “freshman 15!”). Not only is the texture of Toscanini’s premium ice cream uniquely thick and doughy, the flavors at Toscanini’s are constantly changing and are always really, really interesting.

My all time favorite ice cream flavor is Grape Nut Ice Cream. I know it sounds weird, but the Grape Nuts soften considerably once they're mixed into the ice cream, and they give a wonderfully malty flavor to the ice cream.

I've developed my own version of Grape Nut Ice Cream, which I love making at home in the summertime, or the wintertime, or . . well, anytime, for that matter.

Grape Nut Ice Cream

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups half and half

¾ cups sugar

4 egg yolks

¼ to ½ cups Grape Nuts Cereal

Day 1

Heat the half & half, heavy cream, and sugar in a pot on medium low heat until the sugar is dissolved. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together. Slowly pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot cream mixture while continually stirring.

Heat the half & half, heavy cream, and sugar in a pot on medium low heat until the sugar is dissolved. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together. Slowly pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot cream mixture while continually stirring.

Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon (~8-10 minutes). Optionally filter the cooked liquid and allow to cool overnight in the refrigerator.

Day 2

Pour the cream mixture into the ice cream maker and make ice cream according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is "done," pour Grape Nuts into the mixture and stir by hand until incorporated. Freeze finished product for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

Jen's Notes
I tend to really really like Grape Nuts, and thus I pour tons of it in there (way more than the original Tosci's version).. This is really a matter of preference. My version is usually teeming with Grape Nuts, to the point where I wonder whether I'm actually eating ice cream with Grape Nuts or Grape Nuts with a bit of ice cream!

This ice cream taste better after sitting in the freezer for some time. The Grape Nuts soften a bit, and the ice cream freezes to become really hard and dense, like premium ice cream.