Friday, May 24, 2013

Whole Foods Feasting: Sweet Cream Ice Cream and Strawberry Sauce

I love ice creams that have a custard base - the egg yolks make the ice cream so rich. But then you don't taste the dairy flavor as much. And sometimes that creamy flavor is exactly what you want.

So I decided to make an ice cream that's all about the cream. This is like a frozen, sort-of dense whipped cream. It pairs well really with fruit. Try a scoop with a sweet biscuit or pound cake along with fresh berries. Or on top of baked or sauteed apples. Or on some grilled pineapple.

Since this ice cream base doesn't require any cooking - like a custard base does - you can mix it and churn it right away. This is great as a soft-serve ice cream, or let it harden before serving for scooping.

This is also a great ice cream for add-ins. One of my favorites is crushed chocolate wafer cookies. Caramel sauce swirled into the ice cream after it's churned is also fantastic.

Sweet Cream Ice Cream

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl or large (4-cup) measuring cup. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved.

Churn in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's direction.

If you're not using it as a soft-serve ice cream, transfer it to a storage container and freeze until firm.

Getting Saucy

This sauce is great on ice cream, either on its own, or along with some fresh strawberries. This is a great use for berries that aren't as pretty as the rest, or the ones that aren't quite the right size.

I used Irish whiskey, but this would work with bourbon, rum, American whisky, brandy ... whatever flavor you like. Or, if you prefer, leave it out.

Strawberry Sauce

1/2 pound fresh strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon whisky
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Clean and core the strawberries. Quarter them and add them to a heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the sugar and whiskey and cook, stirring as needed, until be berries begin to soften and break down - you want the berries soft, but not completely but not completely obliterated - you want some chunky bits.

Turn the heat off and add the lemon juice. Stir. Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate until needed. Serve chilled.

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