Strawberry Ice Cream

Rich and unbelievably creamy, this luscious ice cream is layered with a thick purée of sweet strawberries plus bites of those plump berries swirled into the mix. It’s a dreamy start to summer!

Making ice cream has definitely become easier with the introduction of ice cream makers. No more rock salt, no more hand crank – just smooth, velvety ice cream at the flip of a switch.

And some of the best ice cream starts with a luxurious custard base with eggs, cream and half and half. I keep extra of all three in my fridge – they’re great to have on hand for whipping up a wide array of recipes.

Full of richness from golden egg yolks, they’re first whipped with sugar then cooked with the half and half until smooth and thick. Stir in the heavy cream, pure vanilla and a touch of almond extract to highlight the berries and a lot of berries!

Strawberries drop into the mix in two forms. First add a thick purée of strawberries followed by a generous handful of chopped berries, sweetened with just enough sugar to bring out their natural beauty and you’ll turn this rich vanilla custard into a marvelous world of frozen strawberry cream. Best of all, you can use frozen berries – yet another great item to keep on hand.

Give the custard a good chill and then you’re ready to churn. In no time at all you’ll be spooning into a bowl of springtime!

Strawberry Ice Cream

4 cups quartered fresh strawberries, or two 10-ounces packages frozen strawberries, divided

1-½ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

1-½ cups half and half

7 extra-large egg yolks

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon pure vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon pure almond extract

Cut the strawberries into pieces, measure out 1 cup and toss with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Purée the remaining strawberries – about 3 cups – with ½ cup of the sugar using an immersion blender or processor. Set aside while you cook the custard.

Pour the half and half in the top of a double boiler. Place over medium-heat until the half and half is very warm, just below a simmer – around 185-degrees – about 10 minutes. Stir the half and half occasionally to prevent it from scorching.

Combine the egg yolks with 1 cup of the sugar and the kosher salt in a medium-size mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light yellow in color and thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Slowly ladle in about a half-cup to a cup of the warmed half and half to the beaten egg yolks and whisk to blend together. (This tempers the eggs, warming them gently and preventing them from scrambling when added to the hot liquid.) Continue adding the hot half and half to the egg yolks until you’ve added about half of it to the egg mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the double boiler with the remaining half and half.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking stirring frequently to keep the custard smooth. Cook until the custard thickens slightly, about 15 to 20 minutes. The custard will look “foamy” on top to start then as it thickens it will be creamy in appearance.

Remove the custard from the heat and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes then stir in the cream along with the vanilla paste and almond extract. Transfer the custard to a heatproof container and stir in the strawberries.

Lay a piece of piece of plastic food wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a film from forming as it chills, then cover with another sheet of wrap. Refrigerate at least 3 to 4 hours or until well chilled.

Pour the chilled custard mixture into your ice cream machine and churn until the ice cream is set up, about 15 to 20 minutes. If your machine has a setting, use the frozen yogurt or gelato setting. You’ll have about 7 cups of custard so depending on the size of your canister you might need to freeze in batches. Don’t over churn or your ice cream will be “icy” in texture.

Transfer the ice cream to a container and freeze for about 2 to 4 hours to firm up.

Makes about 1-½ quarts of ice cream.