"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream." All of the opened square pint containers of neapolitan ice cream sitting in the freezer of my childhood home looked exactly the same. The blocks of chocolate and vanilla were carefully sliced away leaving strawberry to become freezer burned inedible or the only ice cream choice for my father. One couldn't help but feel a little sorry for both the strawberry ice cream and my father. Fortunately my aversion to strawberry ice cream ended sometime after adolescence (that period in one's life where with 'high degrees of certainty' you think you know best). However, after working at a Baskin-Robbins during college, I went through a stage where vanilla was the only flavor of ice cream I could eat. Too many tastes of Pralines and Cream and Jamoca Almond Fudge. Like adolescence, I am thankful that period of my life came to end as well.
In coming across a recipe for a no-churn strawberry ice cream I wondered where it would land on the 'not so great to great' ice cream continuum. Would it skew closer to the taste of that strawberry ice cream in those square pints of neapolitan (low end), to that of the artisan ice cream made by Rococo in Kennebunkport (extreme high end) or somewhere in between. My hope was its' flavor, taste, and texture would have it fall somewhere between the middle and higher end of the my 'years of eating and scooping ice cream' continuum.
This ice cream's creaminess factor depends on whether the strawberries are processed to a smooth puree or are puree-like with discernible bits of strawberries remaining. The presence of strawberries scattered throughout the ice cream make it appear as one more closely resembling an artisan ice cream, one lovingly churned by hand, and one screaming 'homemade'.
Without having to make the investment of an ice cream maker, you can make this strawberry ice cream pretty much anywhere, anytime. The only caveat is that you will need access to a food processor and a whisk. Standing mixers with whisk attachments rank up there with love, health and happiness, but whisking cream by hand has the added benefits of sculpting your arms and burning calories. Forgive my redundancy if I have shared this before, but choose a whipping cream having at least a 17% fat content. In addition to the cream whipping up to fluffier, softer peaks, cream with a higher fat content creates a creamier, richer ice cream.
The sweetened condensed milk, pureed strawberries, and sea salt are very gently folded into the whipped cream until no white streaks remain. And lastly the sifted confectionary sugar is mixed in.
The entire mixture is poured into a freezer safe container, one having a very tight lid. Note: The ice cream storage container from Williams-Sonoma was the perfect size.
The strawberry ice cream takes at least 8 hours to set up in the freezer, but I would suggest you allow it to remain in the freezer overnight.
Is there any non-alcoholic option more refreshing on a hot day than a scoop of ice cream? Well, maybe a couple of scoops.
For those of you who like a little something more with your ice cream, chocolate sprinkles, berry compote, chocolate sauce, hot fudge sauce, or more fresh berries are just some of the options. Sandwiching the strawberry ice cream between two cookies eliminates the need for bowls and spoons.
This might be one of the simplest dessert recipes you will make all summer. Beyond being one of the most delicious, it is like to make you think twice before heading out to an ice cream stand. Who would have ever thought making homemade ice cream was this easy? The expensive ice cream maker I just had to have, the one taken out of the box maybe once or twice over the past ten years, might possibly never see the light of the day, at least for the rest of the summer. And as far as where this ice cream falls on the ice cream continuum, well, it is much closer to the high end than to the center.
Recipe
Strawberry Ice Cream (an ever so slight change to Mimi Thorisson's Strawberry Ice Cream recipe)
Ingredients
14 ounce can (350 ml) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream (at least 17% fat)
2 1/4 cups (450 g) strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters
1/2 cup (50 g) confectionary sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
1. Place cut strawberries in a food processor. Blend until very small pieces remain (do not puree). Note: If you prefer your ice cream on the creamier side, process strawberries until smooth.
2. In a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form.
3. Gently fold in sweetened condensed milk, strawberries and salt.
4. Add confectionary sugar and fold until blended.
5. Pour mixture into an ice cream container (or other freezer friendly container with a tight lid). Freeze at least 8 hours or overnight. Note: The ice cream storage container from Williams-Sonoma was the perfect size.
6. Scoop mixture into bowls, waffle cones, or between cookies and serve.
Optional: Serve with additional fresh strawberries, chocolate sauce, hot fudge sauce, or berry compote.
Freshly picked strawberries at the Farmer's Market.
