Have a house full of hot, complaining kids? Homemade ice cream offers sweet relief. Everyone should have an ice cream machine. During summer, it becomes a magic cauldron that enchants kids by transforming a few ingredients into an icy delight. As you make this recipe, have fun telling your little helpers that the berries need to be heated to release their special joo joo—and blueberries do indeed contain lots of powerful antioxidants, whether you heat them or not. They also lend an appealing royal purple hue to your creamy concoction. Wait for a little churning and freezing, and ta-da!—you’ll have conjured up a dessert so delicious it’ll disappear before you can say Abracadabra!

Blueberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 4 cups half-and-half
• Plenty of ice and rock salt

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer until sugar is dissolved and blueberries are soft.
3. Strain mixture and discard skins and seeds.
4. Stir in half-and-half, then cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.
5. Fill the ice cream machine’s freezer cylinder 2/3 full. Pour 2 inches of ice around the bucket and then 1/4 cup of rock salt on top of the ice. Repeat until ice and salt reach the top lip of the bucket. Churn and freeze according to your machine’s directions.
6. Allow ice cream to firm up in the freezer for 2–4 hours before serving.