strawberry créme fraîche ice cream

if you happened to be following what i've dubbed 'the butter chronicles' over here and here, then you know that there's a lotta bright and deep colored butter in my future. lovingly made by me (and M) from the milk of happy spring-grass munching jersey cows. if you've been hanging around here long enough then you may have picked up that I LOVE ICE CREAM!!!

sorry to shout - i just get so excited.

then how, says you, can i have all that luscious dairy dripping around my crib and not use a wee bit for my paws-down favorite dessert?

i can't. i couldn't. i didn't.

but first, if you don't have an ice cream maker and you love ice cream then i must tell you about this one. it practically lives on my kitchen counter all summer. it makes ice cream making way easier than pie. (and hell, if you really want to win friends and influence people make ice cream and pie for dessert). it's worth it's weight in gold for my summers, so the price didn't bother me. but i can tell you this; there is no doubt that it will be on deep sale at the end of the summer. so if you can't swing the coins be on the look-out in september and you'll be prepared next summer.

back to the berries:



as luck would have it, early-glow strawberries blushed into season at my local u-pick farm just as i was nearing the butter-making end. i kept one half gallon of cream on reserve in the fridge, and a quart of créme fraîche too. that, sugar and the mighty berries are pretty much all that's needed for this decadent frozen delight.

and you'll want a small shot of kirsch too, for the texture. you can use vodka if you don't have it. it works the same way.



...grab a lemon from the fridge on your way over. let's get this party started.




strawberry créme fraîche ice cream
adapted from the perfect scoop by david lebovitz

1 pound strawberries, rinsed quickly in cold water then hulled
3/4 cup sugar (i use organic evaporated cane)
1 tablespoon kirsch, or vodka
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup créme fraîche
1 cup heavy cream

1. add sugar and kirsch to strawberries and let set in a covered bowl for a good hour. toss every once in a while to help sugar dissolve.

2. place strawberries in a blender or food processor. add lemon juice, cream and créme fraîche and pulse a few times until everything is blended. don't over do the pulsing if you want some chunks of berries to remain. or pulse more for a smoother ice cream, maker's choice.



3. cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.

4. freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufactures instructions. for those of you that have not yet used an ice cream maker, don't let this line scare you. basically, you pour it in, turn it on, and let it run for 15-20 minutes at which point you will have the creamiest, most berry-packed ice cream you can imagine.

you're welcome.

you'll want to pull this one out again in another month or so, because that's when peaches roll in. and peaches & créme fraîche...duh! yah man!