For the Sweet Corn Ice Cream

Prepare the corn and milk infusion.

In a large saucepan, slice the kernels from the cobs. Break the cobs into thirds and add them to the pan along with the kernels.

Pour in the milk, heavy cream, and half of the sugar (6 tablespoons / 75 g / 2.65 oz).

Stir to combine.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately remove from the heat. Carefully remove the cobs and set them aside for a moment.

Using an immersion blender, puree the corn and milk mixture directly in the pot until fairly smooth.

Infuse the flavor. Return the cobs to the pureed mixture and let it stand, covered, for 1 hour to infuse the deep, milky corn flavor.

After an hour, remove and discard the cobs.

Prepare the custard base. Fill a large bowl with ice and water to create an ice bath; set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 6 tablespoons (75 g / 2.65 oz) of sugar until pale and slightly thickened.

Temper the eggs. Reheat the corn mixture until it is scalding (hot with bubbles forming around the edges, but not boiling). Slowly pour about 1 cup (240 ml) of the hot corn mixture into the egg yolk bowl, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.

Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking to combine.

Cook the custard.

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a heatproof spatula and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Do not let it boil.

Strain and chill. Immediately strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl set over the ice bath. Press on the solids in the sieve to extract all the liquid, then discard the solids.

Let the custard cool completely in the ice bath, stirring occasionally.

Once cool, cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

Churn the ice cream.

Pour the chilled custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s .

Transfer the finished ice cream to an airtight, freezer-safe container.

Freeze until firm, at least 2-3 hours, before serving.

For the Blackberry Compote

Macerate the berries.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup (240 ml) of the blackberries with the sugar.

Stir gently and let stand for at least 15 minutes to allow the berries to release their juices.

Create the sauce.

Transfer the macerated berry mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.

Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove the seeds; discard the solids.

Combine and serve.

Stir the orange liqueur (if using) into the blackberry sauce. Gently fold in the remaining 3 cups (720 ml) of whole blackberries. To serve, spoon the compote into dessert bowls and top with a generous scoop of the sweet corn ice cream.

Don't skip steeping the cobs! They are packed with milky, starchy liquid that adds an incredible depth of corn flavor to the ice cream base.

Adjust the compote's sweetness based on your berries. If your blackberries are particularly tart, you may need a little more sugar.

Taste the puree before adding the whole berries.