The Freshness: Strawberry Ice Cream

Nothing highlights the freshness of in-season fruit like a homemade frozen treat. This Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream recipe from Betty Crocker will rock your world. Totally.

If making ice cream trips you out, here are my tips, my friend. You got this!

1. Chill a glass bowl in the freezer well before you are even going to jump into the ice cream process. Like put it in the freezer the day before.

2. Let the cooked mixture cool in the fridge beyond the recommended 2-3 hours. I usually go at least 4. You need to allot a good amount of time to ice-cream making. Patience, peeps!

3. Be prepared to put the finished product into the freezer for many hours after you churn it in your ice cream device of choice. The ice cream is usually very soft when it is first made. (Although, this recipe so good you'll probably want to sneak some bites straight away.)

4. When adding the final ingredients into the cooled milk mixture, work fast.

5. Finally, I do strongly recommend to use ice cream recipes that require cooking and egg yolks. I made some imposter one-step strawberry ice cream recipe last summer and it was so blah. Like no texture or taste at all. No bueno.

But this sweet stuff below is super bueno!

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

From Betty Crocker Cookbook

Makes 1 quart

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 cup sugar, divided into two 1/2 cups 

1 cup milk

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 pint (2 cups) strawberries

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, stir egg yolks, 1/2 cup of sugar, milk and salt until well mixed. Cook over medium heat just until mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly (do not allow mixture to continue to boil or it will curdle.) Immediately remove from heat. 

2. Pour milk mixture into chilled bowl. Refrigerate uncovered 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until room temperature. At this point, mixture can be refrigerated up to 24 hours before completing recipe if desired.

3. Mash strawberries with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with a potato masher or process in food processor until slightly chunky (not pureed). 

4. Stir whipping cream and vanilla into milk mixture. Stir strawberries into milk mixture. Stir in a few drops of red food color if desired. Pour into 1-quart ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.