Berry Cheesecake Ice Cream

I got the original recipe from a Taste of Home magazine. I tried it the first time with blueberries. My family thought it was to die for. I next tried raspberries and fat-free half-and-half because I was out of blueberries and didn’t have whipping cream on hand. It turned out well, too. I've also used strawberries with yummy results. Bryn really wants me to try huckleberries, but I haven't figured out where to get them.

Berry Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1-1/4 cups fresh or frozen berries
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Graham Cracker Mixture:
2-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 36 squares)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Ice Cream:
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant cheesecake pudding mix
1 quart whipping cream
2 cups milk (I almost always use skim milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in water until smooth. Stir in berries and lemon juice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. (At this point you can puree the berry mixture and/or strain out the seeds if you are like my family and do not like lumps of fruit and seeds.) Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

In a bowl, combine cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Stir in butter. Pat into an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack; crumble.

In a large bowl, whisk the ice cream ingredients. Fill ice cream freezer cylinder two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer s directions. (If you need to refrigerate any remaining mixture until ready to freeze, whisk before adding to ice cream freezer because it will have some lumps.)

In a large container, layer the ice cream, graham cracker mixture and berry sauce three times; swirl. Freeze. Yield: 2 quarts