Cherry Ice Cream with Fresh Cherries

Instructions:

1. Combine cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small pan over medium heat. Cook until the cherries break down and the liquid becomes a syrupy glaze (approx. 10 mins).
2. Stir in almond extract, blend until smooth (or leave chunky for texture), and refrigerate until completely cold.
3. Warm the cream, milk, and salt in a saucepan until simmering, ensuring it does not reach a boil.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is pale and thick.
5. Slowly drizzle one cup of the hot cream into the yolks, whisking constantly to temper the eggs and prevent scrambling.
6. Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 170°F (77°C) or coats the back of a spoon.
7. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any stray egg bits and stir in the vanilla extract.
8. Refrigerate the custard base for 12 hours to stabilize the fat molecules.
9. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
10. Fold in the chilled cherry reduction and transfer the mixture to an airtight freezer-safe container to freeze until set.