You won’t be able to stop eating this Cookies and Mascarpone Ice Cream! It’s an updated twist on the classic cookies and cream ice cream recipe, but even better. This post is a paid collaboration with Wisconsin Cheese.
Jeff and I aren’t taking any big vacations this year. Between some renovation efforts on our townhouse and work insanity, the money and time just aren’t there.
That’s ok, though! We have a few smaller trips planned, and I got to visit Wisconsin a few weeks ago. Wisconsin Cheese invited me on a tour to see some cheese factories in action, as well as one of their dairy farms.
It was a lovely trip. Madison is a great college town with a unique vibe and fun dining scene.
I discovered a new love of squeaky cheese curds (or gooey fried cheese curds, I love you). It also inspired this Cookies and Mascarpone Ice Cream recipe, which you’ll find at the bottom of this post.
I’ve visited many food processing factories over the years. Never have I been as giddy as I was while surrounded by tons of the freshest possible cheese at various stages of production.
I met master cheesemakers! Do you like stinky cheese? I watched LIMBURGER getting its stank washed on at Chalet Cheese Co-Op.
That room was seriously funky. Chalet is the only remaining producer of limburger cheese in the US.
We sampled award winning cheeses from Roelli Cheese Haus and aged brick spreads from Widmer’s Cheese Cellars. I bonded with a newborn calf at Sunset Farms.
Seriously, we had a moment. I think I was the only one who didn’t get a good photo of her because I just wanted to cuddle.
Another highlight from the trip was visiting Emmi Roth Cheese. Their Grand Cru Reserve is a favorite of mine, so being that close to the source was a real treat.
They prepared us an incredible fondue meal. These trips always seem to go by in a flash.
I left feeling like I barely got to scratch the surface of everything Wisconsin has to offer, and I hope to get back there again someday.
I’ve been on a real ice cream kick recently, and since I’m going on about cheese, I thought this was a great opportunity to prepare another version highlighting mascarpone.
It’s creamy, dense texture and neutral, rich flavor creates a perfect base. Cookies and cream is one of my favorite classic ice creams, and this is my take on it.
You won’t be able to stop eating it!
Cookies and Mascarpone Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole, 2% or 1% milk (see notes)
- 8 ounces Wisconsin Mascarpone Cheese
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until frothy.
- In a medium sauce pot, stir the milk, mascarpone and vanilla over medium heat. As the ingredients heat up, use a whisk to help incorporate the mascarpone cheese into other ingredients until smooth.
- Once the liquid is just starting to simmer, turn the heat to low. Ladle half of the milk mixture into the yolks while whisking. Pour the remaining mixture into the bowl while whisking, then return the ingredients to the saucepan.
- Stir constantly with a spatula for several minutes until the ice cream base thickens slightly and coats the back of the spatula. Transfer to a clean container and cover with plastic wrap, pressuring directly against the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for several hours (or overnight), until very cold. Note: you can speed up this process by placing the saucepan in an ice bath and stirring for about 15 minutes to cool it down before transferring to the clean container.
- Re-whisk the ice cream base (the cheese may have separated), then prepare in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions. Transfer into a freezer-safe container, layering it with the chopped sandwich cookies. Place in the freezer until the ice cream has firmed up and is ready to serve.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
What a crazy fun creation, love homemade ice cream!
Sounds like a great trip Jennifer and my kind of place! Love the sound of this ice cream and the addition of the Wisconsin mascarpone cheese.
Jen, I am still bummed i did not get to see you!!! I LOVE that you had such a wonderful time in Wisconsin and on the cheese tour. . your photos are STUNNING!!!!!!!! and oh my gawd, this ice cream. . using Wisconsin Mascarpone Cheese is freaking brilliant!
Mascarpone was on sale at the grocery this week and I know just what to do with it!
It’s like grown up cookies and cream, love it!
Wisconsin Cheese is the BEST!!!!
Madison is indeed a fun place to visit (my older sister lives just outside it). I think I’d’ve left that trip 20 lbs. heavier! Love the use of mascarpone in the ice cream. I eat that stuff (ice cream and mascarpone) with a spoon, so I’m sure the ice cream is just decadent.
Ummm, cheese curds?? Y-E-S!! I too was just recently in Wisconsin for a Cheese Tour and had Spicy Cheese Curds at dinner one night…I have thought about them every day since! Where I am, in Philly there is a food truck called The Cow and The Curd…They are the only place to get cheese curds I know of around here…sadly. I LOVE this idea for ice cream….I could swim in Mascarpone all day long, I so have to try this! Pinning!
Absolute perfection – I need this ice cream in my life! :)
This ice cream looks seriously scrumptious. There is nothing like homemade ice cream in summer.
This is too good!! I love mascarpone ice cream! :)
What a fun experience! I would love to do a cheese tour someday. I also love cookies and cream and can only imagine how the mascarpone makes it so much richer and creamier. Yum :)
This might just be the greatest ice cream flavor EVER. I need a scoop!
Wow, lucky you! I’ve used that Wisconsin mascarpone and it must be amazing in your ice cream!!
I’ve been wanting to make ice cream lately but wanted to make something different and this was it! We’ve been doing a lot of no-churn ice cream because freezer space is at a minimum so we don’t always want to wait for the container to freeze, but this was sooooo worth it!