When I was a kid, (back in the dinosaur age), my mother would sometimes treat us to homemade ice cream which she made in the ice cube trays (minus the dividers). It was a mixture of canned milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla, if I recall, and was poured into the trays and stirred every half hour or so until it finally was frozen, which took forever in my mind.
Since we only had ice cream on someone’s birthday, these summer treats were tremendously special. So I was thinking I’d like to try a new recipe for ice cream and take advantage of the large bowl of strawberries I picked early this morning. With “those lazy, hazy, crazy, days of summer” almost upon us, it’s time to prepare for relaxation and fun with friends and family.
The local strawberry harvest is in full swing, and if you don’t have your own patch, head out to the local growers or farmers’ markets for a good supply.
I’m trying as many new recipes as possible this season and am also going to make a blender full of strawberry-citrus slush! These two recipes are easy to prepare and certainly delicious to consume.
Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled
1-1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
3/4 cup white sugar
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
Place the berries into the container of a blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. Pour into a large bowl, and set aside.
Heat 1-1/4 cups of the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to bubble at the edge of the pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, remaining 1/4 cup cream, and corn syrup.
Gradually pour the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Strain custard into the berry purée through a sieve, mix, and refrigerate until chilled.
Fill an ice cream maker with the mixture, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Delicious!
best strawberry daiquiri
6 cups ice
1/2 cup white sugar
4 ounces frozen strawberries
1/8 cup lime juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup rum
1/4 cup lemon-lime flavoured carbonated beverage
In a blender, combine ice, sugar and strawberries. Pour in lime juice, lemon juice, rum and lemon-lime soda. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve. Makes 8 servings.
You can freeze this recipe ahead of time but exclude the carbonated beverage and add it when reblending before serving. The rum will keep the mixture from totally freezing hard.
Cathi Litzenberger is The Morning Star’s longtime food columnist, appearing every Wednesday and one Sunday per month.
