Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Strawberry season is here in Minnesota and this year I went twice to Pleasant Valley Orchard. The strawberries are very sweet and both days there were quite a few in the row I was shown to pick in. 

The first time I got two flats of strawberries and the second time I got three flats. 

It was with the second round that I wanted to try a recipe from Taste of Home that I had been wanting to make for a long time: Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream.

This recipe is amazing! It is easy to make and it tastes just like strawberry cheesecake would taste. The juice from the strawberries add a subtle pink color to the ice cream, and the whipped cream a richness that you just can't get with store-bought ice cream.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups sugar 

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

Pinch salt 

8 cups whole milk 

4 large eggs, lightly beaten 

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

3 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed 

2 cups heavy whipping cream 

DIRECTIONS

In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Gradually add milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cool slightly. 

Whisk a small amount of hot milk mixture into the eggs; return all to the pan, whisking constantly. 

Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches at least 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Remove from the heat. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla. 

Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. 

Stir strawberries and cream into custard. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. 

When ice cream is frozen, transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving. 

NUTRITION FACTS

1/2 cup: 202 calories, 11g fat (6g saturated fat), 61mg cholesterol, 65mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate (23g sugars, 0 fiber), 4g protein.