Since I purchased the ice cream attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer I’ve made lots of ice cream. Here are just a few:

• Candy Cane and Peppermint Schnapps Ice Cream
• Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream (Coming Soon)
• Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ice Cream (Coming Soon)
• No Churn Dairy-free, Gluten-free Salted Vanilla and Ginger Snap Ice Cream (Coming Soon)

Of all the ice cream batches I’ve made, my wife said this one is the best. It is pretty darn good.

Another hat tip to Series Eats for the inspiration. I only made slight modifications to their “Best Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe“. Like they say, if you taste the ice cream base and it is too sweet, add a few drops of lemon juice. I did. They also offered lots of other tips, which I used here but my strongest recommendation is to get fresh, local strawberries.

Ingredients for Local Strawberry Ice Cream

• 3 3/4 cups Strawberries, hulled and chopped
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp Grand Marnier
• 2 cups half and half
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice, as needed

How to make Local Strawberry Ice Cream

• Take 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries and add Grand Marnier and 1/2 cup sugar. Mix and allow to macerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
• Strain out the macerating liquid and preserve. I made a Strawberry Simple Syrup out of it. See below.
• Add the the remaining strawberries to a blender and process until very smooth.
• Use a fine mesh strainer and strain out the puree. This will remove the pulp and seeds.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the strained puree, half and half, sugar, salt, lemon juice and corn syrup. Whisk until combined. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or until it gets down to approximately 45°F.
• Set your ice cream maker up per the instructions. I use a KitchenAid attachment that requires you to freeze it for a day or two, so plan in advance.
• Add the ice cream mixture to the ice cream maker and allow to churn for 25 to 30 minutes until you get the desired texture. It should seem like soft server.
• Add the macerated strawberries and allow to churn until combined, about another minute.
• Add the ice cream to air tight containers and freeze over night… if you can wait that long.
• Enjoy.

How to make a Strawberry Simple Syrup

1. Add the macerating liquid to a small sauce pan. Slowly heat to a boil.
2. Remove from the heat and whisk to combine.
3. Allow to cool and add to an air tight container.
4. Keep in the refrigerator and add to fun drinks. Here is one I’ve made so far: Improved (Strawberry) Whiskey Cocktail.