As summer rolls in, the sun is gleaming, kids are out playing, and everyone wants a cooling treat. While ice cream stands as the number one summer treat without avail, strawberry ice cream is an everlasting favorite for its unpretentious flavor and refreshing melt in your mouth luxurious feel.
And as Ramadan graces us with its presence at this time, I think homemade Strawberry Ice Cream would be soothing after a long warm day of fasting. You can even bring a bit of Eastern/Arabian Peninsula flavor to it by adding a few drops of rose water. Strawberry Ice Cream infused with the delicate, floral scent and taste of rose water is enlivening and delightful. And when it’s homemade, you can taste the sheer depth of the natural ice cream. Pure strawberry ice cream that is magnificently creamy and smooth is best when made in your own kitchen where you can ensure an intense strawberry flavor that avoids the classic strawberry ice cream pitfall of having too many frozen chunks of not-very-sweet strawberry.
Ingredients
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 tablespoons rose water (optional)
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
Scant drops of lemon juice, if needed
Method
- Hull and quarter 6 ounces (about 1 cup) strawberries, then slice quarters crosswise into very thin pieces. In a mixing bowl, combine strawberries with 1/2 cup sugar and muddle the strawberries slightly. Let stand in refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
- Hull remaining strawberries and purée at high speed in a blender until very smooth, about 30 seconds. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to filter out all seeds and fibers, then measure and reserve 1 1/2 cups purée. Extra purée, if there is any, can be put to another use.
- In a clean mixing bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups strawberry purée with half and half, corn syrup, rose water and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until fully combined. Add salt to taste, and, if mixture is too sweet, a few drops of lemon juice.
- Chill in refrigerator or ice bath until base is very cold, at least 45°F, then churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. In the last minute of churning, retrieve strawberry mix-ins from the refrigerator, strain off syrup, and add mix-ins to the churn. Transfer ice cream to airtight container and chill in freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.
