Strawberry Ice Cream
There are a lot of reasons to make things from scratch- its usually cheaper, its always tastier, there is a certain pride of ownership, using up mass quantities of *insert random fruit, veggie, etc here* and in some cases you are too darn lazy to drive to the store. This recipe checked off all the boxes.
I realize that many of you may not own an ice cream maker. My husband is of the firm opinion that we should not own a ‘single use’ kitchen item. This may be because we used to live in tiny apartment with minimal storage space or because certain members of his family are pack rats (you know who you are!) and he is rebelling. I had to put my foot down when it came to the ice cream maker though (and the pasta maker) because there is nothing like homemade ice cream.
If you are as crazy about ice cream as I am you need to familiarize yourself with David Lebovitz. He is the king of ice cream. He even has a cookbook dedicated solely to the craft of amazing frozen treats. This recipe produces a super creamy custard with a hint of strawberry. The berries do not overpower the end result, but rather complement it perfectly.
Strawberry Ice Cream
David Lebovitz, Fine Cooking Magazine
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Table salt
5 large egg yolks
1 lb. fresh or frozen strawberries, trimmed, pureed, strained, and mixed with 1/2 cup sugar (or less, if your berries are very sweet)
In a medium saucepan, mix 1 cup of the cream with the milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Warm the cream mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and tiny bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, 3 to 4 minutes.
Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with several inches of ice water. Set a smaller metal bowl (one that holds at least 1-1/2 quarts) in the ice water. Pour the remaining cup of cream into the inner bowl (this helps the custard cool quicker when you pour it in later). Set a fine strainer on top. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl.
In a steady stream, pour half of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.
Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heatproof rubber spatula until the custard thickens slightly (it should be thick enough to coat the spatula and hold a line drawn through it with a finger), 4 to 8 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should read 175° to 180°F at this point. Don’t let the sauce overheat or boil, or it will curdle. Immediately strain the custard into the cold cream in the ice bath.
Cool the custard to below 70°F by stirring it over the ice bath. Stir the strawberry puree into the cooled custard.
Refrigerate the custard until completely chilled, at least 4 hours. Then freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Transfer to an air-tight container, and freeze for at least 4 hours or up to 2 weeks.