Strawberry Ice Cream

Summer is here and berries are ready to enjoy! This summer treat is full of flavor and richness.


Ingredients:

3 cups fresh ripe strawberries, stemmed and sliced (My berries were too big, so I used 4 cups instead)
4 Tbspn. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 3/4 cups heavy cream ( I used 2 cups of heavy cream and 3/4 cup of evaporated milk)
1 1/2 tspn. pure vanilla extract.


Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the strawberries with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of sugar. Stir gently and allow the strawberries to macerate in the juices for 2 hours (I did it overnight). Strain the berries, reserving juices. Mash or puree half the berries.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the milk and remaining granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, reserved strawberry juice, mashed strawberries and vanilla. Pour into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions. Churn for 20 to 25 minutes. Five minutes before mixing is completed, add the reserved sliced strawberries and let mix in completely. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If you desire a firmer consistency, transfer the ice cream to an air tight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Source: Cuisinart Recipe Booklet