Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

It's strawberry season and time for some ice cream!

This is another very easy recipe from David Lebovitz that can be put together in just a few minutes. If you can locate some beautifully ripe and sweet strawberries, the only thing left to do is to slice them, toss them with sugar and let them sit for an hour to create some delicious juices. Then puree them and whisk in equal parts sour cream and heavy cream and a splash of lemon juice. Chill thoroughly, run the mixture through your ice cream machine and you're set to enjoy some creamy and refreshing strawberry ice cream. It doesn't get much easier!

Bench notes:

- Avoid strawberries that have green or white tips. They are unripe and will not have any flavor. Ripe strawberries are uniformly red and have a high sugar content.

- Taste the strawberry puree to see if the sugar level is right. It should be slightly sweet to accommodate the sour cream.

- Strawberries are high in water content. The vodka or kirsch in this recipe helps to keep the strawberries from being too icy or slushy.

- When you pour the finished ice cream into an airtight container, pack it down gently to eliminate air pockets and press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface to help prevent ice crystal formation.

- Since homemade ice cream doesn't contain any commercial emulsifiers, let it sit out for a few minutes to soften before serving.

- For another incredibly easy and super wonderful strawberry indulgence, try Strawberry Balsamic Sherbet or Strawberries and Cream Ice Cream.

Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Makes about 1 1/4 quarts

1 lb fresh strawberries

3/4 C sugar

1 T vodka or kirsch

1 C sour cream

1 C heavy cream

1/2 t lemon juice

Hull and slice the strawberries and toss them in a bowl with the sugar and vodka or kirsch. Stir a few times to help the sugar dissolve and coat the fruit. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Place the strawberries and their juices in the bowl of a food processor or blender and puree the mixture. Add the sour cream, heavy cream and lemon juice and blend until almost smooth. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Pour into a container, press a piece of plastic onto the surface, cover and freeze to firm up.