Tender pink and a delicate flavour of vanilla, strawberries and roses. With the warm weather upon us nothing makes the heart rejoice like a sweet spoon of ice-cream.
I have been dreaming of making an ice cream at home for a while now. Not having an ice cream machine, certainly seemed like an obstacle, but not until I found this easy and delicious recipe. It requires only some fresh fruit, heavy cream and condensed milk (as opposed to eggs) and of course some flavours. It is so extremely easy to make!
Fresh strawberries (the riper the better) give this ice cream a vibrant, bright flavor — a taste as familiar as summer sunshine on your skin. If you like larger pieces of strawberry in your ice cream (as opposed to just the strawberry puree), feel free to chop up a few extras into small pieces and fold them in just before you pour your ice cream into the container to freeze.
The rose flavoring is subtle, and you only need a very small amount for this recipe. I’d definitely call the flavor sophisticated, and it makes every bit of difference to the otherwise familiar strawberry ice cream. It’s a dusky, floral infusion with a pleasant, exotic touch.
You might be able to find a bottle of rose-water at your local grocery store. Mine comes from Morocco and I am excited to try it in other recipes too, like French macarons and even Turkish delights.
Having once tried the ice cream, I am delighted to add this recipe in my repertoire and in the future adjust the ingredients with any flavour combination.
Ingredients
- 450g strawberries stems removed
- 2 tsp rose water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 135ml sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 250ml heavy cream
- Handful of dry strawberries & raspberries
- Dry rose petals, optional
Method
1. Wash and cut the strawberries in half. Put them in a blender and puree the strawberries for a few seconds (some small pieces are fine).
2. Add the condensed milk, rose water and vanilla extract and blend until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream and the sugar with an electric mixer on high-speed until stiff peaks form.
4. Pour the strawberry mixture into the heavy cream and fold until completely combined.
5. Line a plastic box with a clear wrap and pour in the ice-cream. Crush some dry strawberries and raspberries on top. Cover with a clear wrap and close the lid. Freeze overnight.
6. Allow the ice cream to soften at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before scooping and serving. Decorate with dry rose petals, if desired.
