Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream

Strawberry season is upon us! What better way to celebrate than with some delicious ice cream? This is a creamy, rich ice cream with a load of roasted strawberry goodness. The caramel notes from the strawberries makes this the perfect way to transition into summer!

Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream (Makes about 1 quart)
1 cup Milk
2 cups Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Sugar
1 pinch Salt
6 eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 package Strawberries
1/4 cup Sugar

1. Prepare an ice cream base. Do this by placing milk, cream, sugar, and salt into a pot.
2. Whisk the eggs in a large, heat-proof bowl.
3. When the liquid in the pot comes to a boil, slowly whisk it into the eggs. Then, pour it back into the pot.
4. Whisk it on medium heat until the mixture thickens, and coats the back of a spoon.
5. Immediately pour it through a strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla.
6. Allow the mixture to cool.
7. Place strawberries and sugar into a casserole dish.
8. Roast in the oven at 350 degrees F until soft and mushy. Turn every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning.
9. Once the strawberries are done, allow to cool, mash with a fork, and then add into the ice cream base.
10. Prepare your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions and spin the ice cream to a soft-serve stage.
11. Place into a freezer safe, airtight container and allow to harden for at least 3 hours in the freezer.
12. Allow to thaw slightly before scooping into a frozen bowl  or cone and serving.
 

School is out for a lot of students- and many of my friends are graduating! Congrats to everyone who has graduated/is graduating this year; hooray for the end of finals for current students; and keep on trekking on for those already in the working world... Let's all take a break with some delici-owh-so ice cream :)

And of course we can't forget about our mothers! I am extremely grateful for both my moms. My biological mom has been an essential part of my life, and influenced me greatly with my passion and excitement for food (both making and eating, haha). She's always there when I need, and supported me in my decisions. She makes the most delicious food in the world, and always fills it with her generous love. My stepmom hasn't known me all of my life, but she's been a really great role model, loving mother, and provider to me as well. She's got a big heart and loves me and Josh as her own, and I respect her so much for it :) Here's to being thankful and celebrating our mothers!

Summer Berry Bread Pudding

I am so sorry for the late post! I am moving away from Providence to Atlanta this weekend, and I have been attempting to prepare by spending time with friends, packing, and of course getting ready for graduation on Saturday! But first, I have to get through finals...

I recently made some delicious bread pudding with summer berries! It's a great, simple treat for summer, and quick and easy to make! I used Portuguese sweet buns from a local bakery. Croissants would also work well with this recipe.

Summer Berry Bread Pudding (Makes 1 9x13" pan)
Portuguese Sweet Buns (enough to overfill a 9x13" pan)
1 cup Milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Dried Orange Peel
1/2 tsp Dried Lemon Peel
9 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Slice the bread into large cubes.
3. In a pot, heat milk, cream, ginger, cinnamon, lemon peel, and orange peel to a boil.
4. In the meantime, whisk eggs, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl.
5. Once the milk comes to a boil, remove from heat and gently pour into the bowl with the eggs, whisking the eggs the entire time.
6. Once incorporated, add the bread into the bowl and move the bread around to soak in the mixture.
7. Put the bread into the casserole dish after it has soaked slightly. As you do this, place sliced berries throughout.
8. Pour any remaining batter over the bread, and place into the oven. You do not want berries to exposed at the top because they may burn.
9. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the bread pudding is set.
10. Remove from oven and serve warm.

I like to serve this bread pudding with a scoop of delicious ice cream :) The ice cream will melt slightly, creating a cream that soaks into the bread pudding. It's a refreshing, comforting summer dessert!

Stay tuned for my goodbye Providence post on Sunday! I will do my best to be on time!