I scream you scream...

Last week I went strawberry picking and had the pleasure of eating warmed-by-the-sun strawberries, right off the bush. Seriously, there is no better strawberry than one that is that fresh. Ruby's mouth was stained pink from the sweet juices, clearly she agreed with me. 

Well there's only one thing to do when you get home with fresh strawberries: prepare them for the many dishes you'll make. I made some jam (isn't that a requirement when you go picking? Recipe up here soon!), prepared a special cake (more on that soon) and then whipped up this bad boy.

Strawberry ice cream is not my typical flavor of choice, but a homemade version with hand-picked strawberries always sounds just right. When I read about this roasted strawberry version I was immediately interested. Roasting anything brings out its natural flavor and will caramelize the juices- this is true for garlic as it is for strawberries. This is also the reason that the ice cream is a pale pink hue.

The absolute best tip I ever learned about storing ice cream (appropriately) came from a tour of the Ben & Jerry's factory when our tour guide told us to always put a piece of wax paper over the unused ice cream. The wax paper would prevent ice crystals from forming and keep your ice cream preserved longer. I do this all the time now, with store-bought or homemade ice creams, and it makes such a difference!

Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream with bittersweet chunks

Adapted from here

Makes about 1 quart

Recipe Notes

- The balsamic vinegar is just used as a flavor enhancer and will be virtually undetectable if you use the tiny amount called for.  

Ingredients:

For the roasted strawberries:

1 pound strawberries
3 tablespoons maple syrup, or light-flavored honey
½ tsp. balsamic vinegar (optional)

For the ice cream custard:

1 cup (250ml) whole milk

½ cup (100g) sugar

5 large egg yolks

1 ¾ cups heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

2. Hull the strawberries and cut them in quarters. In a wide shallow baking dish with high sides, or a large baking pan (one that will fit all the berries in a single layer, with space between them), toss the berries with the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar.

3. Spread the berries across the bottom of the baking dish and roast on an upper rack of the oven, stirring once or twice during roasting, until they are well-cooked and the juices have thickened substantially, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and scrape into a bowl. Once cool, take a pair of scissors and snip the cooked berries into smaller pieces, if desired, directly in the bowl (the berries can be prepared up to three days ahead, and refrigerated).

4. To make the ice cream custard, heat the milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat.

5. While the milk is warming, make an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2l) bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Set a strainer over the top of the smaller bowl and pour the cream into the bowl.

6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Gradually ladle some of the warm milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.

7. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula (around 5-8 minutes). Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Stir over the ice until cool. Add the vanilla extract and refrigerate to chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.

8. To finish the ice cream, mix the roasted strawberries with the ice cream custard, and then churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once churned, add the chopped chocolate right before taking out of the ice cream maker.