Sweet Cream Strawberry Ice Cream (Lactose Free)

JR and I went strawberry picking this year for the first time together. There is a very popular place around, and since I imagined it would be packed with people I sought out a smaller local farm that was actually closer to home. I loved driving up and seeing the little hand painted wooden strawberry sign hanging on the side of the road.

Remember I said JR and I went, well, he sort of just directed me while I picked. It was funny when a lady a row over from us asked if he was actually helping or not. I think his idea of helping is the eating part after. This is fine by me because there would be a lot of eating after picking 7 lbs of berries!

I sought out recipes from my cooking board friends because I knew they'd have the best recipes to share. It's funny, one of the ice cream recipes I read stated they were making it for milkshakes, and that is exactly what JR asked for. Besides cake, which will come in another post.

This recipe was an experiment in the sense that I was trying to make it lactose free. I know some people will turn their nose up at using coffee creamer, so go ahead and use real cream instead (as long as you don't care about it being lactose free). Since JR can be a "picky pants", I was going more for flavor over healthy here. Who am I kidding, ice cream isn't exactly healthy to begin with!

My experiment worked for the most part. Why for the most part? Like it's name suggests, this ice cream is sweet, so adding milk for a milkshake helped subdue the sweetness, and the texture lends better to milkshakes vs. eating. While I'd prefer my ice cream straight up, a milkshake works too!

Here is what you'll need:

• 3 3/4 cups whole strawberries
• 3 Tbsp agave
• 1 cup 2% reduced fat lactose free milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1 3/4 cup Italian Sweet Cream coffee creamer
• 2 tsp Kirsch, optional

Place strawberries and agave in a medium pot and cook over medium heat until strawberries are softened and begin to break down. Allow to cool and puree in blender. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, warm milk, sugar and vanilla bean with scrapings. Once warmed, remove from heat.

Whisk egg yolks in another mixing bowl. Slowly add warm milk mixture to egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan. Heat saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Pour coffee creamer into a large mixing bowl. Place a mesh strainer over bowl. Pour custard through the strainer.

Make an ice bath of ice and water in another large mixing bowl. Place bowl of custard into the ice bath. Stir custard over ice bath until cooled. Place custard in the refrigerator to chill completely.

Remove custard from refrigerator and stir in Kirsch. Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Freeze in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap pressed against the ice cream to keep ice crystals from forming.

Source: Adapted from David Lebovitz