How To: Make homemade strawberry and basil flavored ice cream

Ice cream doesn't have to stop at vanilla. There's a whole world of ice cream flavors out there, but one you wouldn't expect to try out is basil ice cream, but not just plain basil, basil with ice cream. Lynne Viera, ice cream enthusiast, creates a dessert inspired by the Strawberry-Basil Cocktail from Cuchi Cuchi in Cambridge, MA. Fresh, local strawberries are macerated with sugar, lime zest and basil leaves. Lynne blends half of the fruit with cream, leaving half of the berries chunky for added texture. Simply place in an ice cream maker to freeze, and enjoy a fresh and creamy home-made dessert!

INGREDIENTS:

* 2½ - 2¾ cups strawberries, washed, hulled & chopped into small pieces
* ¾ tsp fresh lemon juice
* ¾ cup sugar
* zest of 1 lime
* 8 medium-size basil leaves, gently chopped
* ¹/8 tsp salt
* 2 cups heavy cream

Special Equipment

* ice cream maker

HOW-TO:

Mix Ingredients

1. Place strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, lime zest and basil in a large bow. Toss together and mash lightly for the strawberries to soften and the sugar to dissolve into the juice
2. Add salt and let sit about 10 minutes to macerate
3. Divide the mixture; place half in a blender with the heavy cream. Blend about 5 seconds
4. Add blended mixture back in with remaining macerated strawberries; mix together with a spoon
5. Place mixture in an ice cream maker set to manufacturer's instructions. It will take about 15-20 minutes to thicken in most ice cream makers. If you like a softer ice cream, eat as-is, or freeze at least 3 additional hours for a firmer texture