I thought summer was here a couple of weeks ago. It was in the 80s and super nice (hot) outside. We were in shorts, and it was even still a little too warm outside. All of a sudden, it’s cooled way down again, and I’m ready for summer to come back. I don’t think my taste buds heard that it still isn’t summer yet. They are ready for summer foods…grilling…and ice cream…
Which brings me to the subject of this post – delicious homemade strawberry ice cream. When I got my KitchenAid mixer for Christmas this year, it came with a free rebate for an ice cream bowl/freezer attachment. It’s definitely the best use of a KitchenAid mixer ever. I don’t even know how many batches of ice cream I have already made this year!
This strawberry ice cream will knock your socks off. It’s the perfect combination of creamy and chunky strawberry goodness. It is seriously great strawberry ice cream. The secret to making it taste smooth and creamy instead of icy is to make sure the strawberries are very dry before mixing them up. When you add the last 1/2 cup of chunky mix-in strawberries, make sure to drain off the liquid before you stir them in otherwise you will end up with slightly icy ice cream.
You should probably hurry up and make 14 batches of this.
Ingredients:
For the strawberries:
- 2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries, divided
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
For the ice cream base:
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup whole milk
Directions:
1. Thoroughly dry the strawberries before using them, otherwise the added water could cause the ice cream to become icy. *Do not skip this step!
2. In a bowl, combine 2 cups of the sliced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for one hour or longer.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs for 1-2 minutes until they become a little lighter and fluffy. Slowly whisk in the sugar until it is completely combined. Whisk in the cream and milk until mixed.
4. When the strawberries are ready, puree them using an immersion blender (or a stand blender), and mix them into the ice cream base.
5. Churn the ice cream according to manufacturer’s instructions. While ice cream is churning, use a fork and mash remaining strawberries (use 1/3 – 1/2 cup). Drain the extra juice well. You don’t want any extra liquid going in at this time, just strawberry chunks. After ice cream is finished churning, fold in strawberry chunks. For best results, freeze overnight before serving.
