To Try Tuesday - Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Growing up I had a choice of vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate ice cream. My favorite back then was always chocolate. Sometimes we had Neapolitan but the strawberry always seemed to be the last lonely flavor in the container. Times have certainly changed because I now love strawberry ice cream, especially home-made strawberry ice cream that tastes like cheesecake.
 

When I first saw this recipe over at Diethood I knew I just had to make it. Not only did the ice cream sound to-die-for, but Kate's photos are stunning. I know that the ice cream will be the first of many things I want to try from her blog - they all look so good!
 

It is hard to believe that this is not a custard-based ice cream because it is so creamy. It is also a snap to make because all of the ingredients, except for the strawberries, go into a blender or food processor. The mix then cools for about two hours in the refrigerator before heading into the ice cream maker.

This ice cream really is like eating a strawberry cheesecake. I loved it in a waffle cone because this kind of mimicked the base of a cheesecake. It might not look like there is much ice cream in the photo above but I made sure I pushed lots of it down into the base of the cone. I think this batch may have lasted just over 24 hours in our household, with lots of sad faces when it was gone. I know that I will be making it again very soon.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup of half-and-half (I used heavy whipping cream)
• 2/3 cup of sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup of chopped strawberries (if you like more berries, add another 1/2 cup - I did)

Preparation

1. Cut the cream cheese into pieces.
2. Put all ingredients, excluding the strawberries, into a food processor or blender.
3. Mix until smooth.
4. Put the mixture into the refrigerator to chill for about 2 hours.
5. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. 3 minutes before the ice cream is done, pour the chopped strawberries into the mixture through the ingredient spout on the ice cream maker.

Recipe by Diethood via David Lebovitz (The Perfect Scoop)