Strawberry Ice Cream

Pretty in Pink, that’s how you might describe this STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM. Made without a cooked custard, it is the simplest – and prettiest! – ice cream recipe in my large collection.

What is so seductive about pink’s pale to passionate variations? When I close my eyes and think pink, I find color-etched images.

Last winter, two girls emerged from the grocery store with their mother. Their hot pink bellbottoms were topped by paler pink knitted ponchos, alike but not identical as the girls themselves were sisters not twins.

And then in April, there was the blushing pink of crabapple blossoms burst open overnight along my street.

And now, in summer, the cool, creamy pink of this dessert is added to my inner gallery, of pink.

ALANNA's TIPS If you like discernible chunks of fruit, reserve and roughly chop about a fourth of the berries, adding them during the last few minutes of processing.

For a soft, lusciously creamy result, prepare the berry mixture in advance and refrigerate, then run the ice cream maker about 30 minutes before you want to serve.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Is something in your food repertoire piquantly pink? Share a recipe via e-mail.

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Processing time: 20 – 30 minutes
Makes 6 cups

1 pound fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled or 16 ounces frozen strawberries, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup skim milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 ounces non-fat cream cheese, cut in 8 chunks
1/2 cup cream

Place berries, sugar and lemon juice in blender and puree. (If there’s not enough liquid to puree, add a bit of the milk.) Add milk, salt and cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add cream and blend until just blended. Process in an ice cream maker until just thick. Best served immediately but can be frozen and served later.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per half cup: 91 Cal; 2g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 14g Carb; 1g Fiber; 174 mg Sodium; 11mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers, Weight Watchers 2 points

This recipe has been ‘Alanna-sized’ with reductions in fat, sugar and portion size and increases in nutrient-rich fruits and low-calorie flavorings.

More Recipes for Ice Cream & Sorbet

(click a photo for a recipe)

Buttered Pecan Ice Cream with Pecan Meringue Cookies

Explore all the recipes for ice cream and sorbet. If you like unusual ice creams, pay special attention to my recipe for Chameleon Ice Cream, a base recipe for many variations. It's lighter than most ice cream recipes, too, light enough for every day.

Do you have an ice cream maker? It's a great investment for about $50, a great gift too. I'm very pleased with my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker and have used it several times a year since 2002. When visiting family and friends by car, I'll even tuck it into the trunk, making it extra easy to stir up a special dessert.

For St. Louisans: Many thanks to Christopher's in Kirkwood, the great gift shop right across from the Kirkwood farmers market, for the just-as-pretty-pink sherbet cups in the photo of the Strawberry Ice Cream -- and to Mother Nature for the pink-perfect roses that grace my garden in May and June.

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June 19, 2005