Grandbaby Cake's Strawberry Ice Cream
Ice cream is by far my favorite food. But not just any ice cream will do. It needs to be creamy, full fat, and not the least bit icy. The best ice creams are in no way healthy, but they're great for nourishing the soul on special occasions.
I knew that I wanted my ice cream to incorporate the strawberries I have growing on my balcony, so I started searching for a truly decadent strawberry ice cream recipe. I stumbled on Jocelyn Delk Adams's Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream on her blog Grandbaby Cakes. Her recipe checks off all my criteria and more. It makes the most of strawberry season and satisfies my ultra-creamy ice cream dreams.
Not only is her recipe amazing, but Jocelyn is also a great person. She was one of the first famous food bloggers to like my Instagram posts when I first started my blog. This made me feel really welcomed in the community and I'm am so grateful for her. For more delicious sweets and treats, be sure to visit her blog and her Instagram!
Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Time: 6 hours
Makes: About 2 quarts of ice cream
Ingredients
1 pound strawberries, green tops removed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar or coconut sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups half and half
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Steps
Prepare your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions. For example, if you have the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment, don't forget to place the bowl in the freezer the night before.
Place the strawberries and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a wide-bottomed bowl. Use a fork, pastry cutter or potato masher to mash the strawberries until they are mostly pureed, but some small chunks remain. Set aside.
Place the heavy cream and half and half in a medium pot over medium-high heat to bring to a boil. While the cream mixture is heating, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl until well combined. Add the sugar to the eggs and whisk again to combine.
When the cream mixture starts to boil, remove it from heat. While whisking the eggs, very slowly (like 1 tablespoon at a time) add the cream mixture to the eggs. To prevent the eggs from scrambling, be sure to whisk constantly and add the cream mixture super slowly. This process is called “tempering” the eggs.
Once you have added all the cream to the eggs, whisk in the mashed strawberries and vanilla.
Refrigerate the mixture until completely cooled. This is very important because it will make your final product more creamy and less icy. This could take 2-4 hours depending on how cold your fridge is.
Once the ice cream is completely cool, churn it according to your ice cream maker's instructions and let freeze for about 4 hours before digging in. I froze my ice cream in two containers: one 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan and one 2-cup pyrex container. Using several smaller containers can help your ice cream freeze faster, but feel free to freeze in one larger container. This ice cream will last in the freezer for several months, so you can take your time enjoying every last bite!
Sustainability Tips
Strawberries: Your best option here is to grow the strawberries yourself, but local or organic strawberries are another great option. Be sure to make this recipe during the early summer, when strawberries are in season. This way, your strawberries won't have to travel very far to get to you.
Dairy: Since cows contribute a lot to climate change, I like to buy my dairy products from B Corps, which are held to really high environmental and social standards. You could also try out vegan dairy options if you're feeling adventurous, but keep in mind that I have not tested vegan options with this recipe.
Eggs: Local eggs are really easy to find if you look for them. Buying locally means your eggs won't have to travel as far, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use.
Sugar: I like to buy coconut sugar because it's easy to find fair trade varieties, but organic or fair trade granulated sugars are other sustainable options here. Read all about it in my sustainable cane sugars post!