Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream is a great way to enjoy summer berries in a cool, refreshing dessert. Sweet berries are pureed and mixed with rich cream, making a delightful creamy treat.
I tried making some vanilla ice cream a few weeks ago, and sadly, it was a colossal flop.
It surprised me, as I used Alton Brown’s recipe, and his stuff NEVER fails me. I suspect the fault is mine and that I didn’t let it thicken enough, in spite of using a thermometer to check the temperature.
I’ve made enough custards and puddings from scratch to know that the mixture was a little too thin, despite what the thermometer read. I ended up trying to whisk it as it froze, and it still wouldn’t harden up.
It tasted fine–It was just somewhat of a soupy mess, especially after drizzling some homemade Chocolate Syrup over top.
I decided to try again. That’s the beauty of homemade ice cream in the summer. Endless varieties mean endless opportunities to perfect a recipe.
Last weekend, I popped over to the Carrot Seed Kitchen Co., a new kitchenware shop here in town. I’ve been excited for this place to open ever since I found out about it…And I even won a prize from a contest they ran before the store opened!
Not pictured is the gift card I also won, because I used it in conjunction with this purchase:
I have the hardest time finding containers to freeze my ice cream in, so I was thrilled to find a dedicated ice cream container.
And since I got myself that new ice cream container, I figured I’d give ice cream another go. I came across a recipe for an ice cream base that had me craving Srawberry Ice Cream like there was no tomorrow.
My original intention was to venture out to a local farm that allows you to pick your own berries, but I didn’t make it. I just used grocery store berries, which were fine.
And so was the ice cream.
There’s nothing too fancy about this–It’s just egg yolks, cream, berries and sugar. It tastes like summer.
Strawberry Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 C heavy cream
- 2/3 C Sugar
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 lb. strawberries, trimmed
- 3 Tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Combine the cream, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved, whisking constantly.
Remove from the heat, and temper the yolks. Whisking them constantly, slowly stream in about a cup of the cream. Whisk the tempered yolks back into the cream in the saucepan, and return to medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 170 degrees F and has thickened to the point that it coats the back of a spoon. Strain the mixture to remove any curdled eggs, and allow it to come to room temperature.
Meanwhile, combine the berries, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and salt in a blender. Puree until smooth.
Chill both the strawberry puree and the base at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Combine the base and the puree, and process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Serve immediately for soft-serve, or freeze for a few hours and allow to ripen. Let ice cream stand for 5 minutes before scooping and serving.
Notes
Prep and cook time do not include chilling time.