Homemade Strawberry Ice cream

Home made Strawberry Ice cream

Is there any human being on this planet who does not like(if not love) ice cream? If there is, then you are missing out on one of the most pleasurable things in life my friend. I can live and survive on ice cream day in and day out. Among all the different types of food that I have had and made, ice cream is my absolute favorite and if it is yours as well, I seriously recommend that you give a shot at homemade ice cream. Not only will you be proud of your creation, you will also realize that homemade ice creams taste better than any other ones.

Making ice cream at home can be a little tricky though since you need to cook a custard base and bring it to the right temperature and ensure that it does not split up. Don't get put off by this please, it is not that hard and after a couple of attempts you will be able to gauge the process. Ice cream can be made without cooking a custard as well but the result wouldn't be the same. The custard base gives the ice cream a very silky and velvety texture.

For this recipe I have used strawberry but you can use any other berries like raspberry, blueberry etc. I have used frozen strawberries here since I always have them in my freezer so I do not have to depend on my fruit vendors to make this ice cream. You can use fresh berries if you have them.

I have used an ice cream maker for making this ice cream. I have made ice creams by hand as well in the past. Using an ice cream maker just saves a  little effort(a lot of effort actually) since you do not need to churn it in the grinder, then refreeze it and churn it again and.....Whatever method you use, the result would be the same...an ice cream that is velvety, silky and super yummy!
Source: Nigella's Forever Summer but made few changes to the recipe.

Makes 1 litre(1 Quart) Strawberry Ice cream

250 ml whole milk
200 ml double or whipping cream(sweetened)
5 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
100 gm caster sugar
250 gm frozen or fresh strawberries(thaw the strawberries if using frozen ones)

If using fresh strawberries, roughly chop them and process in a food processor or a grinder along with two tablespoons of sugar (from the measured sugar) to very small chunks(almost half paste). Else, mash the strawberries with a fork, add the sugar and mix thoroughly.

In a thick bottom pan, combine and mix the milk and the cream and heat the mixture on low flame until you can see tiny bubbles on the sides of the pan. Remove from the flame and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, vanilla extract and the sugar and beat them with a hand held whisk or an electric beater till fluffy and creamy.

Gradually add the slightly cooled mixture into the egg yolk mixture whisking constantly until all the milk mixture has been added.
Note: It is very important that you keep whisking the mixture while adding the milk, else the egg mixture might curdle.

Pour the egg and the milk mixture back into the pan and cook it on a very low flame stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Once the mixture coats the back of the wooden spoon(about 10 mins or so), the custard is ready(do not overcook).
Note: Once you pour the milk and the egg mixture back into the pan, stir it with the wooden spoon and check the back of the spoon. You will notice that the mixture is very thin and just slides off the spoon. Later when the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon, you will understand the difference.

Once the custard is ready, remove it from the flame but keep stirring for a couple of minutes. Leave to cool completely.

Add the strawberries and mix thoroughly. Add the lemon juice and mix. Pour in a jar or a bowl, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge to chill.

If using an ice cream maker, add the chilled mixture in the ice cream maker bowl and churn on the lowest speed for about 10 mins until the consistency is of a thick milkshake. Transfer the mixture to a freezer proof air tight container and freeze for a couple of hours or preferably overnight.

If making by hand, transfer the chilled mixture to a freezer proof air tight container and freeze until the mixture is semi frozen. Divide the mixture into 4 to 5 parts and process in a grinder one part at a time until the mixture is of a thick paste consistency. Once the entire mixture has been processed, return it to the container and freeze again until semi frozen. Repeat the process 2 more times. Freeze the mixture for a couple of hours or preferably overnight.

Enjoy your delicious, homemade and silky strawberry ice cream.

Important Notes: There are two things that can go wrong when making ice cream with a custard base. First, ensure that you constantly whisk the mixture while adding the milk mixture to the egg yolks to avoid the risk of curdling the mixture. Second, do not over churn your mixture in the ice cream maker. Else, you will have a greasy after taste left on your tongue while eating the ice cream. Over churning is rarely possible when making the ice cream by hand.

Happy Ice Creaming!!!

Homemade Strawberry Ice cream

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