Strawberry Dream Ice Cream

Florida Strawberry Ice Cream topped with a sprig of basil

Strawberry Dream Ice Cream

No store-bought ice cream can lay a finger on a really well done, homemade ice cream. Trouble is, making ice cream is hard! Just like making fresh bread, it takes a lot of practice to master the art of ice cream.

Scratch ice cream requires delicately cooking egg yolks, tempering cream and milk within a few degrees and of course, lots and lots of waiting.

The end result is always worth the effort but what if you don’t have the time or just don’t want to fuss with all the mess? You could go down to the grocery store and buy a couple quarts of the pre-made stuff, but have you looked at the ingredients?

Milk, Cream, Skim Milk, Sugar, Strawberries, Strawberry Revel (Strawberries, Sugar, Water, Natural Flavors, Pectin, Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Calcium Chloride, Strawberry Juice Concentrate, Cherry Juice Concentrate, Blue 1 and Red 40), Corn Syrup, Contains 1% or less of Carob Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Mono & Diglycerides, Cellulose Gel, Cellulose Gum, Natural Strawberry Flavor, Strawberry Juice Concentrate, Citric Acid, Cherry Juice Concentrate.

Shouldn’t ice cream be simple, and simply delicious? Well now it is! This six ingredient recipe features all whole foods. You won’t need any help pronouncing these whole-food ingredients. Plus your active time in the kitchen is minimal! It’s a win-win-win! That’s why I call this a Strawberry Dream Ice Cream, because it’s a dream to make.

Florida Strawberry Dream Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups mashed fresh strawberries

In a large bowl, combine the milk, cream, sugar, salt and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix for 20-30 minutes until it begins to thicken.

Add strawberries and process for 10-15 more minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for 2 hours.

Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving. Add a sprig of mint or basil for an even more beautiful display.

Chef’s note: If your ice cream maker is as noisy as most, or if it tends to lose its cool a little early in the process, have I got a trick for you! Simply clear out some space in your refrigerator or freezer and let the magic happen in the cold, quiet darkness of your freezer or fridge. This also means you can make more than one batch a day since your freezer bowl won’t thaw out as quickly!