Balsamic Strawberry Ice Cream

This balsamic strawberry ice cream has got to be the best strawberry ice cream I have ever made, let alone tried, in my life! I am a sucker for strawberry ice cream and shakes alike. Now, the one worded question I get asked a lot when I make this is, “Balsamic?” Yes, balsamic. Trust me! I have learned to trust that when there is a weird ingredient or two in any recipe that it’s guaranteed to be amazing. Now to jazz things up and not stick to a traditional scoop and eat method, I decided to pour them into rose molds and serve them with mint garnish.

Balsamic Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 3 cups strawberries, hulled and halved
• 2.5 Tbs. sugar
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Prepare

1. First, combine the berries with the 2-1/2 Tbs. sugar and 2 tsp. vinegar in a large nonreactive
   skillet. Put the skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the strawberries are
   soft and the liquid they release has reduced somewhat, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Next, let the mixture cool slightly. Transfer the berries and their juice to a blender or food processor.
   Purée until smooth and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up, then whisk in half of
   sugar (1/4 cup). Set aside.
4. In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, salt, and the remaining sugar
   (1/4 cup) and put the pan over medium-high heat. When the mixture approaches a bare
   simmer, reduce the heat to medium.
5. Then carefully scoop out about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture and, whisking the eggs
   constantly, add the cream to the bowl with the egg yolks. Repeat, adding another 1/2 cup of the
   hot cream to the bowl with the yolks. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, stir the cream in the
   saucepan as you slowly pour the egg-and-cream mixture from the bowl into the pan.
6. Cook the mixture carefully over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is thickened, coats
   the back of a spatula, and holds a clear path when you run your finger across the spatula, 1 to 2
   minutes longer.
7. Now, strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. Set the container into an
   ice-water bath, wash your spatula, and use it to stir the base occasionally until it is cool.
   Remove from the ice-water bath, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the base for at least 2
   hours or overnight.
8. Finally, scoop and enjoy your strawberry ice cream!

Let Cool

1. Whisk the strawberry purée and the remaining 2 tsp. vinegar into the chilled base.
2. Freeze in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. While the ice
   cream is churning, put the container you’ll use to store the ice cream into the freezer. If using rose mold pour into molds and freeze overnight. Enjoy right away or, for a firmer ice cream, transfer to the chilled container and freeze for at least 4
   hours.