Strawberry Ice Cream

by Ashley Bowen, Account Coordinator

On a warm day, ice cream always hits the spot! Take advantage of fresh seasonal fruit, such as strawberries, to create the perfect summer treat.

Yields 4 Cups

Ingredients

• 4 cups finely chopped strawberries (see notes)
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar, divided
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• A pinch of sea salt
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Optional, but recommended: 2 tablespoons vodka

Instructions

• Place the strawberries and ¾ cup sugar in a medium-sized pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, give the pot a stir and reduce the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool slightly. Pour about half the strawberries into a blender and blend on high until smooth. Add the pureed and chopped strawberries into a bowl together and place them in your fridge to cool.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining ½ cup sugar.
• Heat the whole milk and coconut oil in a small pot over medium-high heat until steam rises from the pot. Add the vanilla and pinch of sea salt. Whisk some of the hot milk into the egg yolks to temper them, then add the egg yolks to the pot of hot milk. Place the pot over medium heat and, whisking constantly but slowly, bring the milk almost to a boil. You want the custard to thicken to the point where it will coat the back of a spoon.
• Pour the custard into a bowl through a fine-mesh sieve. Make sure to use a sieve to filter out any little bits of cooked egg. Add the whipping cream, strawberries, and vodka to the bowl and whisk together well. Place the bowl in your fridge to let it cool completely, at least 4 hours.
• Once the strawberry ice cream custard is completely cold, process it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer the strawberry ice cream to a freezer-proof dish and cover the top with parchment paper directly on the ice cream. Freeze until firm.

Notes

* Make sure to use ripe, in-season strawberries. If you are making this strawberry ice cream in the fall or winter, it is best to use frozen strawberries.

* The coconut oil increases the fat content to make the ice cream creamier.

* The vodka prevents the ice cream from becoming icy.

Recipe courtesy of Kristen Stevens, TheEndlessMeal.com