Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

For all of you ice cream lovers who haven't ventured into the world of making your own ice cream, now is the time. Honestly, this ice cream alone makes investing in an ice cream maker completely worth it. Trust me. It is some of the best ice cream I've ever eaten, and that's coming from someone who typically doesn't even like strawberry ice cream.

My apologies for not posting it while we were still in the peak of strawberry season, but per usual I kept eating the whole batch before taking pictures (I had some help from people equally obsessed with this ice cream). This is a frequent occurrence. One of these days I'll learn to practice some restraint, but that day is not today.

It's hard for me to pick what I love about the recipe best. It could be that it's one of the easiest ice creams I've made. Unlike most other ice creams I make, this one is egg-free and doesn't require using a stove. It could also be that all of my favorite flavors involve some sort of alternating layering of toppings (examples here and here), and this recipe is no exception. It's the key to getting swirls of toppings in every scoop. Or maybe it's that it has cream cheese, and I've met very few cream cheese recipes I didn't like. Too many good things to choose just one.

The base is smooth, creamy and rich. Usually I'm hesitant to use fruit in ice cream because it has a tendency to get icy, but that's not the case with this recipe. Every single bite is as good as the last...and when you do get to that last bite, I guarantee you will want more. You will be sad that you finished your bowl, and you will sneak over to the freezer and get another scoop. Diets be damned. 

Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Recipe adapted from Baked by Rachel

Ingredients:

1C whole milk
1C heavy cream
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4C granulated sugar, divided
2C strawberries
2/3 C graham cracker crumbs, roughly 6 sheets

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, blend cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Slowly add the cream and milk, making sure that the liquid is fully incorporated roughly every 1/4 cup or so. If you pour all of the liquid in at once, you will likely end up sloshing milk and cream everywhere, so be sure to go a little at a time. Once all ingredients are combined, use a spatula to transfer the mixture to a clean bowl. Cover and chill the mixture overnight.  

While the base is chilling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Hull and slice strawberries, tossing with remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Roast on a parchment lined baking sheet for 15 minutes. Transfer berries and sugary liquid from the parchment sheet to a clean bowl, cover and chill.

Churn liquid according to manufacturer's directions. In the last 5 minutes, drop strawberries and liquid into the base a small spoonful at a time.

Sprinkle an even layer of graham cracker crumbs on the bottom of a freezer safe container. Carefully spread a layer of ice cream on top of the crumbs. Alternate layers of ice cream and graham cracker crumbs until container is full. Freeze until firm.