simple strawberry ice cream

My 18-month old daughter LOVES strawberries, to the point of obsession. Every mealtime, our conversation goes something like this:

Me: “Okay, Miss A, time for lunch!”

A: “sta-WAH-bewwies? More sta-WAH-bewwies!”

Me: “No, we’re not having strawberries right now. Let’s have a sandwich first.”

A: “San-wich. I like it!…MORE sta-WAH-bewwies?”

and, repeat.

Seriously, it’s gotten to the point where I have to consume my strawberries in secret, lest we have another meltdown when the strawberries are gone. Good thing we planted a few rows of strawberry plants in our garden for next year!

In the meantime, we’ve been reveling in June’s strawberry harvest: In the past month, I’ve consumed more strawberry shortcake than I can remember eating in a long time. We’ve had it in smoothies, tossed into salads, on cereal, in oatmeal, stirred into yogurt, over pancakes, and (perhaps my favorite) in this easier-than-pie strawberry ice cream.

The ingredient list for this ice cream is short — strawberries, sugar, and cream — but the payoff is huge. It’s not a custard base, so prep is incredibly simple. Little A helped me blend this up and was fascinated by watching the pink liquid whirr away in the ice cream maker. Strawberry season is almost over, so whip up a batch before it’s too late!

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Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 lb strawberries, stemmed and hulled

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

Directions

Heat cream and sugar in a saucepan, stirring occasionally,  until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool slightly.

In a blender, combine the strawberries and warm cream mixture (be careful when blending hot liquids! I usually leave the lid cracked a bit, with a towel over the top.) Start on the lowest speed to blend, then increase speed until the mixture is pureed. Refrigerate the mixture until cold.

Pour mixture into the ice cream maker and freeze according to your machine’s directions.

Makes about 1 quart.

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