With the Tennessee heat in full swing, and July being National Ice Cream Month, I decided to create a familiar classic treat: strawberries + cream ice cream. Nothing could be more refreshing and so reminiscent of my childhood. One of my greatest memories of summer was our annual family strawberry harvest. It happened during the late summers in Canada when we would visit a local strawberry farm and spend hours crouched, filling our baskets row by row and staining our cheeks red with the sweetest morsels we could find. Though I remember it being hot and tiring on our backs, my memories were very fond and gave us a great feeling of accomplishment. I hope to find a nice local farm someday to take my own little ones for an afternoon of berry picking.
Roasting the strawberries helps draw out some of the water, which helps create a more concentrated flavor. Since strawberries have a high water content, its also better to puree the strawberries for flavoring. Using pieces of strawberries will result in rock-hard, flavorless chunks.
This recipe is adapted from Jeni's Splended Ice Creams at Home. It's my go-to source when I'm looking for any ice cream recipe. She has a flair for combining unique flavors, and her recipes are delicious and foolproof.
ROASTED STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM
This recipe makes about 1 quart
ROASTED STRAWBERRIES
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
ICE CREAM BASE
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp cream cheese, softened
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 1-1/4 cups heavy cream
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
FOR THE STRAWBERRIES:
Preheat oven to 375˚ F. Combine the strawberries with the sugar in an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish, stirring gently to mix well. Roast for 8 minutes, or until just soft. Let cool slightly. Puree the berries in a food processor with the lemon juice. Measure 1/2 cup of the pureed berries; refrigerate the rest of the puree for serving.
ICE CREAM BASE:
- Mix 2 tbsp of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.
- Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
- Combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar and corn syrup in a 4-qt saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.
- Return mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Add the 1/2 cup strawberry puree and blend well. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag into the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary until cold, about 30 minutes.
- Pour ice cream base into the frozen canister and spin until thick and creamy.
- As you pack the ice cream into a storage container, alternate it with layers of extra strawberry puree, to create a more vibrant swirl of color and flavor. Press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.