Hey friends! Ice cream season is officially here! We had the rainiest June ever, and July has been cool as well…so it hardly feels like Summer yet to be honest. Not that I’m complaining too much. Working outside on our farm is so wonderful, but is not the most enjoyable when it’s crazy hot. And yet, it hasn’t stopped me from making a million new flavours of ice cream, and I can’t wait to share more in the coming weeks.

This strawberry shortbread version is made of crumbled up shortbread cookies (make your own with the recipe below…or use store bought if needed!), as well as local strawberries that were cooked down a little, cooled, and then stirred into thecustard (that means egg yolks are involved to make things extra creamy) ice cream base. The result was this beautifully pink creation, that is the perfect mix of textures!

no churn strawberry shortbread ice cream

recipe: kelsey siemens

shortbread cookies

1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (113 g) salted butter, room temperature

1 cup (125 g) flour

to make the cookies

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the granulated sugar and butter.  Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Add in flour, and mix on medium until completely incorporated, and dough begins forming a ball.  Remove from the bowl, and form into a disc with your hands.  Roll out on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thick.  Use a 2.5-inch cookie cutter to cut out cookies, or simply use a knife to cut into squares.  If the dough is too sticky to roll out, the butter may have gotten a bit too warm, simply chill for 15 minutes and try again.  Transfer the cookies to the lined baking sheet, gather the scraps, and re-roll to cut out more cookies. 

Bake at 325 degrees F for 15-17 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.  I find it better to slightly over bake shortbread rather than underbake it, to ensure you get that melt in your mouth texture.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.  Store in an airtight container until ready to use.  Shortbread will last about a week at room temperature, but I recommend freezing it right away to keep it at its freshest.  It will last about 3 months in the freezer.  Simply thaw and serve.

strawberry ice cream

1 1/2 cups milk (I used 2%, but any is fine)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar

4 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped strawberries

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

to make the ice cream

First make the custard base. Combine the milk, heavy cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a large saucepan. Heat on medium-high and whisk constantly so that the egg doesn’t cook separately. Bring the mixture to 160 degrees F (so the 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.

While the base is cooling, make the strawberry sauce. First puree the strawberries in a blender, then add to a small saucepan and stir in the sugar. Cook on medium heat until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Allow the sauce to cool.

Once the ice cream base and strawberry sauce have both cooled, stir them together, and then pour into your ice cream machine. Follow the instructions for your machine - mine takes about 25 minutes until the ice cream is thick and creamy. Crumble the shortbread cookies into the ice cream, and give it a stir until the cookie pieces are evenly distributed, and be sure to reserve a few for garnishing on top when serving.

Serve immediately as soft serve, or transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 2-3 hours before serving.

happy ice cream making!

-kels