Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Cream

In my last recipe, I made Strawberry Rhubarb Scones which left me with some leftover strawberries and rhubarb on a steamy 90 degree day in Chicago. Given the hot weather, I was in the mood for something refreshing so I searched for some strawberry rhubarb ice cream recipes… I found a great Martha Stewart recipe that I adapted slightly. This ice cream is sweet and tangy and perfect for a hot day!

Ice cream in general is super fun and surprisingly easy to make. It’s also easy to be creative with when you start out with a simple ice cream base, you can then play with the ingredients for flavor. You can make whatever flavor you want!

Here are a couple of important tips to make your ice cream making process fast and smooth:

In the hot summer months, if you have an ice cream maker that requires a portion of it to be in the freezer, keep it in the freezer at all times. Some ice cream makers, such as the kitchen aide attachment, require ~15 hours in the freezer before use. If you’re craving ice cream quick, this can put a damper on your plans. So I just leave mine in the freezer so it’s always ready to go for the next batch!
Start in the morning! You’re ice cream base will need a couple of hours in the fridge to cool down before it can be placed in the ice cream maker. The sooner you start, by the time that afternoon heat sets in you’ll have ice cream ready to serve!

Ingredients:

1 lb diced rhubarb
1 cup chopped strawberries
3/4 cup plus 2 tbs sugar
2 tbs water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk

Place rhubarb, 1/2 cup sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer until rhubarb is tender and falls apart. Around 8-12 minutes.
Place strawberries in a food processor or blender and puree. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.
Heat the cream and milk together in a saucepan over medium heat – be sure not to boil. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 6 tbs of sugar and stir until dissolved then allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
In a medium-sized dish with a lid, combine the ingredients together and cover and place in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.
When you’re ready, place the mixture in your ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.
Place the ice cream in a sealable pan or dish and place back into the freezer to further firm up the ice cream before serving.

When you’re to serve, use some fresh whipped cream and maybe a few sliced strawberries to place on top then enjoy!