Hey gang, guess I spoke too soon when I told you that with summer travels over we were ready to roar back into the Oui, Chef kitchen to share some great new recipes. It's been over a week since my last post…..oops.
Truth is, our summer schedule has been busier than anticipated and has kept me from my regular twice a week posting schedule as of late, and circumstances are unlikely to change until all the kidlets are back in school. I really do miss being here with you all more regularly, and am looking forward to things getting back to normal as all of the kids start heading back to school in a couple weeks.
So….here's a little bit of deliciousness to get you back in a Oui, Chef frame of mind, a fabulous strawberry ice cream by none other than Jeni Britton Bauer, the high priestess of frozen butterfat. Like most (if not all) of Jeni's recipes, this one has a couple of unusual ingredients, such as cornstarch, cream cheese, and corn syrup the inclusion of which mark the culmination of her years of experiments designed to yield a homemade ice cream with the same luxurious high-fat mouth feel as the best store bought artisan brands. While that mouth feel is exquisite, it's the deep strawberry flavor from the roasted berries (genius!) and the slight tang of the buttermilk that make this creation so irresistible. You will love it, I promise. Until next time……
Cheers – Steve
Roasted Strawberry and Buttermilk Ice Cream
Ingredients
for the roasted strawberries:
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
for the ice cream base:
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions
for the strawberries:
- Heat the oven to 375 ℉. Combine the strawberries with the sugar in an 8 inch square glass or ceramic baking dish, stirring gently to mix well. Roast for 8 minutes, or until just soft. Let cool slightly.
- Puree the berries in a food processor with the lemon juice. Measure 1/2 cup of the pureed berries; refrigerate the rest of the berries for another use (they'd be great as an ice cream topping, or in a smoothie!).
for the ice cream base:
- Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
- Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heat-proof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- Gradually mix the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Add the reserved 1/2 cup strawberry puree and the buttermilk and blend well. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice if necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can place the base in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before proceeding with churning your ice cream.
- Pour the ice cream base into your ice cream machine and churn until thick and creamy. Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a piece of parchment against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.