If you know me well, then you probably know that strawberries are the only berry that I'll eat fresh by the bucket.  I know I'm a weirdo, but I just don't like other berries, unless they're baked into pancakes, muffins, or a pie.  Ha!

Strawberries though, are where it's at.  I bought a giant flat this year from a local farm, and baked with almost half of it, and froze the rest for smoothies and strawberry compote in the coming months.  This ice cream was one of recipes that resulted from my bounty, and I am so so obsessed with it.

Roasting the strawberries is such a crucial step, as it helps bring out the flavour of the strawberries so much!  It also makes your house smell INCREDIBLE, so that's a nice bonus!  It's easy peasy too.....just lay out slices of them out in a 9x13 glass baking pan, sprinkle with a bit of sugar, and roast at 375 degrees F until they're nice and soft.  You really can't do it wrong!

This is such a fresh and yummy dessert to serve in the Summertime, and I love incorporating fresh fruit into ice cream.  And...if you're as obsessed as I am, serve this with roasted strawberries on top for an extra special touch. Ha!

roasted strawberry ice cream

recipe: Kelsey Siemens

ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds strawberries, roasted

1/2 cup sugar (or to taste - may want a bit more if strawberries aren't super sweet!)

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

5 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

directions:

In a 9x13 baking pan, place sliced strawberries in with a sprinkle of sugar, and roast at 375 degrees F for 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nice and soft.  Set aside to cool.

In a medium saucepan, add remaining amount of sugar, milk, cream, egg yolks, and salt.  Heat on medium-high and whisk constantly.  Bring the mixture to 160 degrees F (so that your yolks are safe), or until you can run your finger through the custard on the back of a coated spoon and it stays in place - about 10 minutes.  Allow the custard mixture to cool to room temperature or cooler.

Mash or puree your strawberries - I mashed mine so that I'd still have a few little chunks left in the ice cream.  Careful that they're aren't too big, as they might clog your ice cream machine.  Or leave out some of the whole pieces, and mix them in once the ice cream has formed.

Mix the strawberries and custard mixture together, and pour into your ice cream machine, following it's instructions.  Place in an airtight container in the freezer for a couple hours before serving (or serve it as soft-serve!).

I do hope that you've enjoyed some local strawberries wherever you are!

And Happy Ice Cream Making!

-Kelsey