Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

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Hello!  I’m Faith from the blog Thought 4 Food.  I was excited when Brandy asked me to guest post, since I love her sweet creations!  I knew I’d have to make something delicious for the readers of Nutmeg Nanny…

I first had cheesecake flavored ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery, and since then it has become one of my all-time favorite ice cream flavors.  (After all, it combines two fantastic desserts!)  This ice cream is incredibly rich and creamy with a slight tang from the strawberries.  I used crushed shortbread cookies to simulate the crust, but you could also use crushed graham crackers.  If you prefer plain cheesecake, leave out the strawberries and shortbread cookies altogether…maybe swirl in some fudge or caramel or crushed Oreos?  The possibilities are endless!

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream (Adopted from Joy of Baking)

(Yield:  About 8 cups)

2 c reduced fat milk (I used 2%)

½ c heavy cream

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

8 oz Neufchatel cheese, softened to room temperature

3 large egg yolks

¾ c white sugar

4 c fresh strawberries, chopped

10 shortbread cookies, coarsely crushed (homemade or store-bought)

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk and heavy cream to the scalding point (the point when small bubbles form around the edges; make sure not to let it boil).  In a medium bowl, beat together the Neufchatel cheese, egg yolks, and sugar until light and fluffy.  Very gradually, pour the scalding milk into the Neufchatel mixture while beating constantly (this mixture is the custard for the base of the ice cream).  Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve.

Assemble a double boiler and transfer the custard along with 2 cups of strawberries to the bowl on top of the double boiler.  (If you don’t have double boiler, you can use a pot with a couple inches of simmering water fitted with a heat-proof bowl.)  Stir the custard constantly until it reaches 170F or coats the back of a wooden spoon (see picture below).

Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.  Let the custard cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it for at least 6 hours (or overnight).  The custard must be completely chilled before it can be processed in an ice cream machine.

Transfer the custard to your ice cream machine and process the ice cream according to the manufacturer’s directions.  Put the ice cream in a bowl and fold in the remaining 2 cups of strawberries and the crushed shortbread cookies.  Transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe container and freeze until it reaches your desired consistency.  Enjoy!

The Custard Should Coat the Back of a Wooden Spoon

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