A metaphor for a food blogger indulging all day? Maybe.

A way to get some points with the kids? Possibly.

But a good idea? Yes. HELL YES!

I say we should have ice cream for breakfast any time. Homemade ice cream, at that. OK, at least on weekends.

Now before you go all “healthy”, take a step back and think about breakfast. Dairy? We eat loads of dairy with cereal and in coffee. Sugar? Look at the ingredients of kids cereal or flavored yogurt. Fat? Plenty of fat with bacon or eggs (but no need to give those up). We do eat fruit at breakfast, but that goes in ice cream, too, right? Heck, coffee and ice cream are natural allies. So why not start the day right? Why not feel good? Why not have a breakfast you really enjoy?

Besides, many people are already having ice cream for breakfast. It is called a Frappucino. Sugar, condensed milk, bad coffee and ice, meh. I say, make your own ice cream and serve an occasional morning (or brunch) treat.

We even have a recipe to suggest: Breakfast Ice Cream with Granola and Honey. Since Carolyn makes awesome homemade granola, the ice cream is a natural fit with the cereal. We combine the two and it is breakfast cereal to die for, and a drizzle of honey is a nice touch. (A dollop of the ice cream in your coffee instead of milk is also a nice treat). In moderation, this is a breakfast that will make you smile.

As for the homemade ice cream, it is not hard, particularly if you use the right recipe. We use a “Philadeliphia-style” vanilla ice cream that does not include eggs and is very easy to make. The recipe we use is (barely) adapted from an Alton Brown ice cream recipe. You will note the use of a small amount of jam or preserves (he used peach jam, we used apricot- it was in the fridge). The fruit jam adds a nice flavor note, but is mostly used to help with texture and consistency. But don’t worry, this is still vanilla ice cream.

The granola recipe is here, but if you must, use a store-bought version you like. I would not be shocked to find this is also good with most breakfast cereals. I bet Cocoa-Puffs with ice cream might be pretty good.

In any event, the time for ice cream at breakfast has come. Try it. Share with friends. Let’s build a movement!  Otherwise, you could have this for dessert.

Breakfast Ice Cream with Granola and Honey:

Notes Before You Start:

–       Philadelphia style ice cream (also called New York style) ice cream is made without the use of eggs. The base is just dairy and sugar, plus whatever flavors you add. The end result is still very rich and flavorful but is less dense than egg-based custards. An added benefit is that this style of ice cream works very well with home ice cream makers.

–       Philadelphia-style ice cream is also much easier to make that custard-based ice cream. If you want to start making ice cream at home, this recipe is a good starting place.

–       TWO BIG NOTES ON TEMPERATURE: 1) You must chill the ice cream base before churning, otherwise the ice cream will be icy and gritty.  2) This ice cream will get very hard in the freezer. This is OK, home made ice cream has less air in it, this is a good thing. Just let the ice cream soften 20-30 minutes in the fridge (better) or 5-10 minutes on the counter before serving.

–       Once you make this base vanilla ice cream you can add other fruits (chilled), chocolate chips or crushed candy for new flavors. Add in the extras just after churning, fold into the ice cream, and then allow the ice cream to harden.

What You Get: A contrarian breakfast and a great dessert. Easy to make, tasty ice cream at home.

What You Need: You will need a home ice cream maker and a good instant-read or candy thermometer. The recipe calls for a vanilla bean, but you can substitute a teaspoon of vanilla extract if you do not have a vanilla bean available.

How Long? You need at least 8 hours to make the ice cream (mostly inactive time). I make and chill the base the night before and then make the ice cream the next day. Expect 30 minutes of active time to create the ice cream base. 6-24 hours to chill the base. 15 minutes to churn and 2+ hours to harden the ice cream.

Ingredients:

(Yields about 1 quart)

Ice Cream:

–       2 cups half and half

–       1 cup heavy whipping cream

–       5 and ½ oz. sugar

–       2 oz. apricot or peach jam (preserves also work)

–       1 vanilla bean split and scraped (keep everything to put in base)

–       1 pinch kosher salt

–       Granola, homemade or store-bought

–       Honey for drizzling

Assemble:

1. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add half and half and cream. Using a candy or instant-read thermometer, keep track of temperature of the mixture. When mixture reaches 175 degrees, remove from heat.
2. Add the sugar, jam, vanilla bean and salt to mixture. Stir with a whisk until sugar and jam dissolves. Cover and let steep for 20 minutes.
3. Remove vanilla bean pod from mixture. Place mixture in an airtight container and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours. Overnight is better.
4. Churn the mixture in your ice cream maker (follow normal ice cream making instructions)
5. Place ice cream in freezer for at least 2 hours to harden. (Or just eat.)
6. Place a few scoops of ice cream in a bowl add granola to your liking and drizzle with honey. Serve.