Summer Recipes: Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

I love making ice cream with my counter-top Cuisinart ice cream maker. This weekend at the farmer's market I bought lots of freshly picked local strawberries. Not only do we like to eat them, but I wanted to make fresh strawberry pie, strawberry shortcake, and strawberry ice cream while the berries are still in season. The two of us can't possibly eat all that dessert, but it's so rare that I get to enjoy fresh strawberry desserts!

Today I tackled the ice cream on my list. I used a recipe from the Williams-Sonoma ice cream book. It's not super sweet, but it's light, fresh and delicious.



STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM
(from Williams-Sonoma Collection: Ice Cream)
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2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups strawberries, stemmed and coarsely chopped

In a bowl, combine the cream and milk. Add the sugar and salt and whisk until the sugar begins to dissolve. Stir in the vanilla. Set aside, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to blend, about 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate the mixture until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 8 hours.

In another bowl, using a fork or potato masher, mash half of the chopped strawberries; they should break down into small chunks. Add the remaining coarsely chopped strawberries to the bowl. Cover and refrigerate the strawberries for about 1 hour.

Pour the milk mixture into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. When nearly frozen and the consistency of thick whipped cream, add the strawberries. Churn or stir until just blended. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, before serving.