This recipe is perfect for summertime, when nothing will satisfy but the classic chilled treat!
This version uses strawberries, heavy whipping cream, vanilla and sweetened condensed milk! There is no churning required, and this delicacy is ready after 5 hours of chilling! AKA, make it in the morning before it gets hot, and enjoy it after a fun day in the sun!
For this recipe, you will need…
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk
10 oz of frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon of homemade vanilla extract
1/2 of a vanilla bean, caviar scraped
Food processor (for pureeing the strawberries)
Hand mixer with whisk attachment
Spatula of choice
Large mixing bowl
Tablespoon and teaspoon measurement tools
Various cup measurement tools
9 x 5 loaf pan
Let’s get started!
For this recipe, we will be reducing the frozen strawberries into a compote. This will help intensify the strawberry flavor of the ice cream, getting you all the swirls! I chose to make a compote rather than using store-bought jam because I wanted to control how much sugar was going into the recipe, as well as steer clear of all the extra additives in jam, like pectin and high fructose corn syrup.
The Strawberry Compote
To make the strawberry compote, begin by thawing the 10 oz bag of frozen strawberries. You can thaw this by leaving it in the fridge overnight, or the speedy way, by putting the frozen strawberries in a small microwave safe bowl, and microwaving the strawberries in three 30 second increments.
Next, add the strawberries into a food processor and process on high until pulverized and runny.
Then transport the strawberry mixture to a small saucepan and turn on the smallest stove-top burner for the saucepan you are using. Turn the heat the to a simmer, and stir the mixture often. Simmer the mixture until 1/3 of the volume of the original mixture remains. This will take approximately 20-30 minutes. Be patient- it is well worth the wait!
Once this mixture is reduced, let the compote cool completely.
The Cream Mixture
First, add the 1 pint of heavy whipping cream and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Using the hand mixer, beat on high until stiff peaks form, roughly 7-8 minutes. The mixture should resemble the image below.
To this, add the 1/2 of a can of sweetened condensed milk. Use a spatula to gently fold the sweetened condensed milk into the heavy cream. Once combined, the mixture should look glossy, like the image below.
Transfer the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla mixture to a 9 x 5 loaf pan, smoothing out the top. Once the strawberry compote has cooled completely, you can move on to the next step.
Putting it all together
One of the last steps to making this incredible ice cream is adding the mixtures together. The easiest way to do this while still getting a lot of swirls throughout the ice cream is the make small wells for the strawberry compote to sit in the cream mixture that is in the loaf pan. To do this, take a spoon and create multiple little wells that go all the way to the bottom of the pan.
Next, spoon the strawberry compote into those wells. Use all the strawberry compote and make as many wells as you need to. Just ensure the wells reach the bottom of the pan.
Lastly, we will begin swirling. To do this, use a chopstick- or even a metal straw- and insert the chopstick down to the bottom of one corner. Drag the chopstick through the ice cream mixture, dragging the color of the strawberry compote with you.
Typically, you can zig-zag up and down the pan while moving across the pan horizontally. The look you are going for is swirled, but if it becomes too mixed, don’t worry, it will still taste great!
The last thing to do now is wait. This is the hardest part!
Before placing this in the freezer, cover the top with plastic wrap and press lightly so the ice cream mixture adheres to the plastic wrap. This will help prevent freezer burn on your beautiful batch!
Freeze for 5 hours, or overnight.
When ready to enjoy, let the ice cream sit out for 10-15 minutes at room temperature, or until desired texture.
This ice cream will keep fresh for 2 weeks in the freezer.
Congrats!
You now have a fresh batch of no-church strawberry ice cream! I hope you enjoy it!
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