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Prep time
8 hours 10 minutes
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Cook time
35 minutes
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Serves
6 to 8
Author Notes
No-churn ice cream is the perfect dessert to celebrate the arrival of spring. It’s cooling, creamy, and a cinch to make. This version ups the ante by adding a bright red swirl of strawberry rhubarb jam to cut the sweetness and bring a pop of tart, spring flavor to the forefront. The swirl—a simple jam made with a combination of sliced rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, and just enough sugar to tame the rhubarb’s bite—provides the ideal counterpart to the ice cream base. Fresh basil gets added to the jam during the final few minutes of cooking, infusing it with a subtle herbal flavor that brings springtime freshness. Everything gets cooked together until it’s thick, glossy, and scented with notes of fresh basil.
But how does the no-churn ice cream base work exactly? It all comes down to two helpful ingredients: whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk. The first, whipped cream, lightens the ice cream and give it a “churned” texture without having to use an ice cream machine. It mimics the aerating effect that ice cream machines lend custard, helping to fluff up the base so it doesn’t end up icy or too rich. The second ingredient, sweetened condensed milk, provides an ample amount of sugar content that prohibits ice crystals from forming, along with a naturally low water content. The two ingredients blend with a touch of salt and vanilla extract to create a perfect no-churn ice cream base that rivals the real deal. —Jesse Szewczyk
Ingredients
- For the strawberry and rhubarb jam:
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1 pound
(453 grams) rhubarb (about 7 or 8 (10-inch) stalks), sliced crosswise into ¼-inch-thick pieces (about 5 ½ cups)
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1 pound
(453 grams) strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 4 cups)
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1
large lemon, juiced and zested (about ¼ cup juice and 1 ½ teaspoons zest)
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1 cup
(200 grams) granulated sugar
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2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
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1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
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10 sprigs
fresh basil
- For the ice cream:
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2 cups
heavy cream
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1 tablespoon
vanilla extract
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1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
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1
(14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
Directions
- For the strawberry and rhubarb jam:
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Combine the sliced rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice and zest, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often to prevent the bottom from burning, until the rhubarb and strawberries have completely broken down, the mixture is thick enough to briefly leave a streak at the bottom of the pot when stirred, and has the consistency of a thick jam, about 30 to 35 minutes. If at any point the mixture starts to bubble too violently, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the basil directly to the jam (no need to chop it or remove the leaves from the stems) and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to infuse the basil flavor into the jam.
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Transfer the mixture into a medium bowl, let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, uncovered, for at least two hours.
- For the ice cream:
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Gradually increase the mixer speed to high and whip until medium peaks form, about 2 minutes. (Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl and electric hand mixer to whip the heavy cream.)
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Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a large mixing bowl and add half of the whipped cream. Gently mix the sweetened condensed milk into the whipped cream until fully incorporated. Add the remaining whipped cream and fold everything together until completely combined.
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Remove the basil from the jam. Spoon about a quarter of the whipped cream mixture into a 9x5-inch standard loaf pan. Dollop about ¼ of the strawberry mixture on top of the whipped cream mixture in about 5 small piles. Use a thin knife or chopstick to swirl the jam into the cream. Repeat the layering process, adding more whipped cream followed by the jam three more times, ending with a few artful swirls of jam on top. Refrigerate the loaf pan uncovered for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Let defrost slightly before serving.
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