Author Notes
I have learned that ice cream does make bad days better. I came up with this late one night after a long frustrating day. Kiddos and husband in bed, ripe strawberries and figs in the refrigerator, I let my mind wander and ended up with this ice cream. —gingerroot
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Ingredients
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Scant 4 cups ripe fruit (I had 5 large figs and the rest were strawberries, chopped)
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1/3 cup
water
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1/2 cup
raw organic honey
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1/2 cup
plus 2 T 1% milk
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1/2 cup
heavy cream
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2 tablespoons
cornstarch
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1/4 cup
crème fraiche
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4
large sweet basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
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2 teaspoons
crème de cassis (optional)
Directions
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Combine fruit and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook fruit until begins to bubble. Cover mixture, stirring occasionally, and cook some more, about 5 minutes. Add honey and cook, stirring occasionally, until jammy, about 15 minutes. Transfer to glass bowl or quart pyrex, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, or overnight.
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Combine 1/2 cup milk and cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow mixture to steam, about 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, make cornstarch slurry in a small bowl with remaining 2 T milk. Add slurry into heated liquids, whisking constantly. Continue to cook until thick, about 5 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill (fridge if you have time, freezer if you need this ice cream sooner) until cold.
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Place fruit mixture, chilled and thickened cream and crème fraiche into a blender. Puree to combine. Fold in crème de cassis if using and basil leaves, gently stirring to mix. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze longer for firmer ice cream. Enjoy!
My most vivid childhood memories have to do with family and food. As a kid, I had the good fortune of having a mom who always encouraged trying new things, and two grandmothers who invited me into their kitchens at a young age. I enjoy cooking for the joy it brings me - sharing food with loved ones - and as a stress release. I turn to it equally during good times and bad. Now that I have two young children, I try to be conscientious about what we cook and eat. Right about the time I joined food52, I planted my first raised bed garden and joined a CSA; between the two I try to cook as sustainably and organically as I can. Although I'm usually cooking alone, my children are my favorite kitchen companions and I love cooking with them. I hope when they are grown they will look back fondly at our time spent in the kitchen, as they teach their loved ones about food-love.
Best of all, after years on the mainland for college and graduate school, I get to eat and cook and raise my children in my hometown of Honolulu, HI. When I'm not cooking, I am helping others grow their own organic food or teaching schoolchildren about art.
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