Ice cream usually ends up on my mind about two months before summer even hits. The weather is warming up, I’m a million percent over winter, and ready for a summer breeze. I begin to imagine all the creamy and bright flavors that I can spin and stock pile in my freezer. I envision myself sitting outside with a small cone of it in my hands and the weather is perfect. It’s not too hot and I can taste it and it dribbles down my hand. One month away, I start talking about the flavors that I want to make to other people around me. Things usually get out of hand, since I’m surround by other ice cream lovers and we end up spending way too much time talking about ice cream and not truly important matters, like global warming and why no one can seem to replace the toilet paper roll in the bathroom. Finally, summer arrives. Then, life gets in the way and I end up not making nearly as much ice cream as I would have liked. However, this summer is going to be different and I am committed to keeping a batch of home spun ice cream in my freezer at all times. If I get too busy, remind me. I’ll thank you.

Homemade ice cream tastes special to me. Notably better than store bought and maybe it’s the love that goes into it or maybe it’s the fresh ingredients. Likely, it’s both. Either way, if you’ve never tried making it yourself now is the time. You won’t regret it.

Brilliant red fresh strawberries are a favorite of mine and David Lebovitz’s Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream is a favorite recipe. I admit that part of the reason that I enjoy it is because the process is less involved, but it still has the same end result. Creamy, smooth, and fruity. I love adding fresh herbs to anything sweet, so I chose basil to compliment the strawberries. It’s a nice balance and makes the strawberries even more interesting. A perfect pair.

Strawberry Basil Ice Cream

Makes 1 1/4 Quarts

1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240g) sour cream
1 cup (240g) heavy cream
1 cup of loosely packed fresh basil, lightly torn
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Slice the strawberries and stir them in a bowl with the sugar, coating the berries completely and the sugar begins to dissolve. Be sure to mix in all the sugar that sits at the bottom of the bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a small pot, combine your heavy cream and basil. Bring to a simmer, then cover and steep for 40 minutes. If you’d like a stronger basil flavor, do a taste test, and steep it for longer. Once you are done steeping, strain your cream into a clean bowl and discard the basil leaves. Set your steeped cream aside and allow it to cool until ready to use.

Pulse the strawberries and their liquid with the sour cream, basil infused heavy cream, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor until almost smooth, but still slightly chunky.

Refrigerate mixture for at least one hour. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions or approximately 20 minutes. When your freezing time is complete, your mixture will still be soft and slightly fluid. Pour into a freezer safe container, cover, and freeze for about 8-10 hours or longer.

Recipe Adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop