Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream
Adapted from Deliciously Golden
Makes 11 ½-cup servings

2 cups sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon sugar
2 ½ cups low-fat buttermilk½ cup strawberry puree
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of 1 lemon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice

*Note: This actually made too much to fit into my ice cream maker, so next time, I might cut the buttermilk down to possibly 1 to 1 1/2 cups, and maybe add a bit more sweetened condensed milk (bring it up to a cup, maybe more) to give it a sweeter taste. (It was a bit too tangy for my liking.) I also didn't have a lemon to zest, so I did without, and just used bottled lemon juice.

1. Combine sliced berries and sugar in a small bowl and let sit, stirring occasionally until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the fruit is juicy.

2. Meanwhile, whisk buttermilk and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour into the canister of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. During the last 5 minutes of freezing, add the sliced berries. If necessary, place the ice cream in the freezer to firm up before serving.

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It's starting to feel more and more like summer. Everywhere you look things are vibrant and colorful, from green leaves to the splash of bright flowers being planted in gardens. The weather is getting warmer as the days get longer. Pools are filled and open, and soon the smell of suntan lotion will mingle with the aromas of fresh cut grass and barbecue in the air. It's summertime that always makes me yearn for a porch swing, a good book, and a tall glass of ice cold lemonade. It makes me nostalgic for childhood: playing baseball in the backyard, running carefree through the sprinklers, and riding my bike through the neighborhood. I love almost everything about summer. The only thing I can't stand--the heat. That's why you usually won't find me lounging around the pool. (And the fact that I fry like bacon in the sun, I hate swimming, and I don't want to subject innocent people to the sight of me in a bathing suit... but mostly the heat.) I'm usually the one hanging out in the shade, with my SPF 50 sunblock, enjoying the best part of summer--a great big bowl of ice cream.

This past weekend was Memorial Day Weekend: the unofficial start of summer. I think it's finally safe to put away my winter coat! (Although this is Ohio--a state known for her schizophrenic weather patterns. When an Ohioan says "wait five minutes, and it'll change," we're not joking.) To celebrate, I'm sure most of us fired up the grill. Boyfriend and I? We went to the Utica Ice Cream Festival about 40 minutes outside of town. Utica is home to the Velvet Ice Cream Factory. Mmm.. Both of us were off for the holiday, so we packed up, slathered on sunscreen, and hit the road for some tasty frozen treats! Honestly, other than the factory and a couple booths selling ice cream cones, a fantastic hot fudge sundae cake, and root beer floats, there really wasn't a lot of ice cream related things at the festival. But the whole festival/fair atmosphere, combined with the beautiful sunny day, screamed "SUMMER!" to me, so I was content. I was even inspired to present to you my first frozen dessert of the season! Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream!

I actually made this a few weeks ago, with what was left of my strawberries and strawberry puree from my Neapolitan Cupcakes, but I kept putting off writing about it. Between posts about Cupcake Camp and it's creations, and my IronCupcake: Earth entry, it kept getting pushed back. But finally! With summer so close at hand, it seems like the perfect time to share this incredibly easy treat! It took all of 35 minutes from start to finish to create this perfect refreshing snack--15 minutes of prep time, and 20 to churn! (And a good 8-10 minutes of that prep time was devoted to slicing strawberries and wrestling my ice cream maker off the top shelf. So really--5 minutes to put things together.)

It's really just a one bowl recipe. Whisk together buttermilk, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and strawberry puree, and there you have it. Pour right into an ice cream maker, and you're on your way! Within the last 5 minutes of mixing, throw in your sliced strawberries, let it mix, and you're ready to serve! It'll still be sort of soft, so if you like your ice cream a little more frozen, or you're not serving it immediately, pack it into a bowl with a tight fitting lid and pop it into the freezer to firm up. I press plastic wrap right onto the top of the ice cream, so it doesn't get those nasty freezer burn ice crystals on top.

I fell in love with this flavor combination at a local ice cream shop. If you're anywhere near Columbus, you've GOT to try Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. It's amazing. I don't think I've ever tried a flavor that I didn't think was good. When I thought about how I was going to use up my leftover strawberries and puree from my cupcakes, the first thing I thought of was Jeni's Strawberry Buttermilk. I knew I probably couldn't find the actual recipe, but as long as I got the essence of it, I would be happy. I think this one did an alright job. My only complaint about this recipe was that it was too tangy from the buttermilk. It almost overpowered the strawberry flavor. It made too much to fit the whole batch into my ice cream maker at once, so I did half of it at a time. I'm glad I did, because after tasting the first batch, I was able to add more sweetened condensed milk to the 2nd batch to even out the flavors. That batch came out tasting really good!

This was so easy to make, and turned out to be really good! Not quite Jeni's, but then again, nothing ever will be. The standard is set too high. But it's definitely worth making. So if you find yourself in need of a cool, refreshing treat this summer, grab a bowl and come join me under the shade tree.