Very Cherry Gelato

To prepare the cherries: Preheat oven to 400 F. Place whole, stemmed cherries in an oven safe dish. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and natural cherry flavor; toss well. Roast cherries, uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Using gloved hands, remove pits and discard (save the juice from the pan). Chop cherries into small pieces. Store cherries and their juice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To make the ice cream base: Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a bowl; set aside. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the milk and heavy cream together until small bubbles start to form around the edges of the pan. Slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot milk/cream mixture into the yolks.
Pour the yolk mixture back into the milk/cream mixture and heat over medium-high, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour ice cream base into an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.

To make the ice cream: Process the ice cream base, chopped cherries and the juice from the cherries in an ice cream machine following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Recipe makes about 1 quart.