Ice cream holds a special place in my heart, as it probably does for most people. Ice cream, more than most foods, seems to have this unique and magical power to create memories and bond people. For me, ice cream often reminds me of my dad. He always loved chocolate ice cream with berries and nuts, so he would often take me as a young girl to the ice cream parlor after soccer practice (which was usually several days a week). Neither of us probably should have been consuming that much ice cream, but neither of us could resist. To assuage his guilt, Dad always made me promise I wouldn’t tell my mom and that I wouldn’t let it spoil my dinner (I’m sure it did spoil my dinner, but of course I agreed).

When I went to find my first summer job in high school, the first place I looked was the local ice cream shop, where I spent months scooping and mixing ice cream and wreaking of waffle cone batter. The pay and tips were pretty lousy, but the free ice cream was worth it.

One of my husband’s first jobs was also in an ice cream store, and he’s probably the only person I know who can out eat me in scoops. I knew we were a match well made when he brought me to his favorite ice cream manufacturer in his home town and between the two of us we polished off four separate bowls of ice cream in one short date. Probably not the healthiest of affinities, but definitely one of the more delicious.

I started making ice cream from scratch in college, and I still use my cheap little ice cream maker today. Homemade ice cream is my kind of project because I love recipes that allow me to spread all my cooking steps out over several days. I can make the custard one day, chill it for a day or too, churn it another day, and then freeze it until I need an ice cream fix. This is the opposite of the store bought carton’s immediate gratification, but the flavors of homemade ice cream are usually so much better and can be way more interesting. Plus spreading the process out in this way ensures that you never spend too much time on any day (ideal for busy people who have many other jobs besides making ice cream).

Of all the flavors strawberry is my husband’s favorite, so I’ve tried making several recipes with varying success. Sometimes the custard became too icy because there was too much fruit or not enough cream. Other times the strawberry flavor wasn’t strong enough, which was even worse. Neither is the case with this ice cream. The custard is smooth and creamy, the strawberry flavor is punchy and rich, and paired with homemade waffle cones, it’s easily the best strawberry ice cream I’ve ever had (or made).

A few tips on getting the right flavor. Use ripe, in season strawberries and don’t skip roasting them with a high quality, aged balsamic vinegar. If you’re thinking vinegar in ice cream is strange, don’t be alarmed! The vinegar really just helps to bring out the sweetness of the strawberries and adds a nice, very subtle complexity to the finished ice cream. My husband was genuinely surprised when I told him my secret ingredient. That being said, I do think you could drizzle some fine, aged balsamic over the ice cream as a syrup when serving, and it would be divine. The second tip is to make sure you fully chill both your custard and your strawberry puree before churning. It makes all the difference for creaminess.

As for the waffle cones, I am simply reproducing the recipe from Jenni’s Splendid Ice Cream blog. If you’ve never had the pleasure of visiting her shops, you may not know that her cones are the very best! It does take a little practice to master the cooking and rolling (especially if your using an inexpensive stove top waffle iron like I do), but the end results are completely worth it. And if you’re having a hard time shaping the cones, you can turn them into waffle bowls or delicious little accompanying cookies instead.

Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream

Equipment:

• Rimmed baking sheet

• Food processor

• Ice Cream Maker

• Large freezer safe container

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lbs. (12oz.) fresh strawberries, cleaned & hulled

• 1 TBS. fine, aged balsamic vinegar

• 2/3 cup + 2 TBS. sugar

• 2 TBS. corn syrup

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt

• 6 large egg yolks

• Pink gel food coloring (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 300ºF, and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Toss the strawberries with the balsamic vinegar and 2 TBS. sugar. Spread them evenly in the middle of the baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the strawberries are soft and the juices have released into a thick, syrup.

3. Pour the strawberries and all their juices into a food processor. Add the 2 TBS. corn syrup, and pulse several times to your desired consistency. I like to have some little strawberry chunks, but you can pulse to smooth puree if you prefer. Transfer the puree to a container and store in the refrigerator for at least several hours, or until completely cold.

4. Make the custard. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 1/3 cup sugar until slightly more pale and the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, combine the cream, milk, salt, and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a medium saucepan. Stirring frequently, heat over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is just below boiling (you should see steam but no large bubbles). Remove the pan from the heat.

6. Temper the eggs. Slowly add about 1/4 cup of hot cream mixture to the egg yolks, whisking continuously as your pour. Once the cream is fully incorporated, slowly add another quarter cup of cream, whisking vigorously. Continue adding cream and whisking until you’ve added about a third of the cream mixture. Then slowly pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pan with the remaining cream, stirring continuously as you pour.

7. Return the custard to a medium low heat and, stirring continuously, cook until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take about 6-10 minutes. Do not heat too quickly and burn the custard.

8. Once the custard is thickened enough, pour it through a fine mesh sieve into a clean container sitting in an ice bath. Allow the custard to cool, then remove from the ice bath, cover, and store in the refrigerator until completely cold.

9. When both the custard and strawberries are cold, pour the puree into the custard and mix well. Add a couple drops of pink gel food coloring (if using) and mix again. Then churn the custard in the ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe container and chill until fully frozen before serving.

Recipe influenced by Zoe Bakes & The New York Times

Homemade Waffle Cones - makes 8-10 cones

Equipment:

• Waffle cone iron

• Ice cream cone roller

• Ice cream cone stand (optional)

Ingredients:

• 2 large egg whites

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/4 tsp. kosher sea salt

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 tsp. almond extract

• 5 TBS. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Method:

1. Heat the waffle cone iron (this will vary depending on your iron)

2. Make the batter. Combine the egg whites and cream in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add the sugar, salt, and both extracts, and whisk for a minute until well combined. Whisk in the melted butter, and then add the flour, whisking only until fully incorporated. The batter should be smooth and free of lumps.

3. Cook the cones according to the instructions for your waffle iron.

4. To shape ice cream cones, position the roller with the point tip toward you and closer to the left edge of your waffle round. Leave enough room at the bottom to grip the point of the cone. Working quickly (cones harden as they cool) fold the left side across the roller and tuck it under the cone while gripping the bottom into a point with your other hand. (TIP: use a paper towel or two to help you hold the hot cone without burning your hand). Pressing firmly, roll the cone over to finish, and allow it to cool and set for a few moments. Transfer the cone to the stand (if using) until completely cool, and continue until all the batter is used. Cones are best eaten the day of but can be stored for a few days at room temperature in an air tight container.

Recipe from Jenni’s Splendid Ice Cream