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.

Strawberry Shortcake Scones

Jersey strawberries are here, and they are so amazing. The perfect way to enjoy them is with this fabulous Strawberry Shortcake Scone recipe.

Now if making scones seem like a difficult baking transaction for you, please allow me to offer a few tips:

1. Keep your ingredients cold - particularly the half and half and butter. You should dice the butter first and put it right back in the fridge while prepping the other ingredients.

2. Prep all ingredients before mixing so that you are ready to go. You need to move swiftly with making scones.

3. Once you add the half and half, mix the ingredients lightly with your hands. Literally with your hands! It makes a mess but it's how you get the perfect consistency.

4. Do not over mix. This isn't like cookie dough or cake batter, during which we beat the ingredients mercilessly. Scone mixing is light and fluffy and finished when the few ingredients just come together.

5. Have your surface lightly floured and your knife ready to go so that you can cut the scones as soon as the dough is mixed.

These scones are heavenly.  I hope you love them!

Strawberry Shortcake Scones
By Lisa Kerhin
blogghetti.com
Makes 12

For strawberry scones:
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. Salt
6 Tbsp. very cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup diced strawberries
3/4 cup half and half

For glaze:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt; whisk lightly.

3. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender, two knives or your hands until mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.

4. Add in the strawberries and coat lightly with the flour mixture

5. Add half and half to mixture; fold together gently until the mixture just begins to come together to form a soft dough. Try to not over knead the dough.

6. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the rectangle into 6 squares, then cut the squares diagonally to form 12 triangles.

7. Place scones on prepared baking sheet and bake 16-18 minutes or until scones are cooked through and golden brown.

8. To keep your counter clean, place a sheet of parchment down under a cooling rack. Remove scones from pan to cooling rack. Cool about 15 minutes before glazing.

9. To make glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla and half and half until smooth. If your glaze is too thick, add a little more cream. If it's too thin, increase the powdered sugar by 1/4 cup or less until the desired consistency is achieved. You want the glaze to be thick yet  pourable.

10. When scones are cooled, drizzle the glaze over them. Glaze will firm up when scones are completely cooled.

11. Recipe adapted from Alaska from Scratch.