Summer Fare on a Winter's Night?

Nothing says summer like homemade ice cream. So, why then, is it 36° F outside and I have a hankering for ice cream? Not sure why, but I have always loved a tasty bowl of ice cream in the dead of winter. To satisfy this urge, I decided to whip up some homemade strawberry ice cream.

Strawberry Ice Cream
2 cups fresh ripe strawberries, stemmed and sliced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar, divided
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine the strawberries with the lemon juice and 1/3 cup of the sugar; stir gently and allow the strawberries to macerate in the juices for 2 hours.



In another bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream, the vanilla and any accumulated juices from the strawberries.



Turn on your ice cream maker (I use this Cuisinart model) and pour the mixture into the frozen bowl. Note: If you have a different machine, make sure you check your machine's instructions for the best results. Let mix until thickened, about 25-30 minutes.

Add the sliced strawberries during the last 5 minutes of freezing.



In contrast to its store-bought counterparts, this ice cream ends up being a light pink. It makes me wonder what the heck food companies are putting in their products.



Hated it! Can you tell?