An ice cream made of roasted summer

This icy summer treat pairs well with the everyday delicacy of aniseed waffles

Photo: Nevada Berg
Extra strawberries add texture to this divine summery ice cream.

Nevada Berg
Rollag, Norway

Berry season runs from July to August, just before the touch of autumn stretches its arms across Norway. Strawberries (jordbær), cloudberries (multebær), currants (rips), raspberries (bringebær) and so many more berries grow wild throughout parts of the country. Here in the mountainous region of Numedal, Norway, we are spoiled for choice. Picking and eating wild berries becomes a daily afterthought; a part of each day’s routine as we take a walk and stumble across seemingly endless supplies of ripe berries. It is the time when Norwegians indulge in the fresh flavors and begin to preserve and store for the upcoming seasons.

Norwegians boast the best strawberries, and they certainly have every right to do so. The cooler summer temperatures and abundance of light create the perfect growing environment so the berries stay on the vine longer, ripening into berries that burst with sweetness and have a vibrant red color. Stands selling berries pop up alongside roads and stores begin to carry “Norwegian grown” with locals and visitors flocking to buy them. Wild strawberries, small and intense in flavor, dot along the earth’s floor and become a game for kids and adults alike to gather and savor.

With summer beginning to wind down, it seems only right to indulge in one last hoorah, which unites summer’s optimal treat of ice cream with the last of the season’s strawberries. My sister and her family came to visit us in Norway a few weeks ago, and it happened to coincide with my niece’s third birthday. With a marzipan cake (marsipankake) in hand, the only thing left to make was an accompaniment of ice cream and her only request was that it featured strawberries. So, off for a walk we went to gather berries from the forest floor.

My sister, who, like myself, loves to take an ingredient or two and create from that, developed this recipe. She had come across an idea for roasted strawberry ice cream and tweaked it into her own creation with a burst of lemon and the addition of strawberry pieces folded into the creamy mixture.

Photo: Nevada Berg
Berries are in beautiful abundance in Norway this time of year.

This ice cream is truly divine and speaks of Norwegian strawberries and summertime. It is perfect on its own, in a cone, or better yet, topped on fresh, Norwegian waffles. I have included my recipe for aniseed waffles, which pair well with the strawberry and lemon flavors. Waffles and ice cream—a delightful way to celebrate any occasion!

Roasted Strawberry & Lemon Ice Cream
(Jordbær Iskrem)

Ice Cream
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
4 egg yolks (we used fresh eggs from the hens out back)
1 1/4 cup buttermilk (if you do not
have access to buttermilk, you can add 1/2 tbsp. and 1 tsp. of fresh lemon juice to whole milk)

Roasted Strawberries
2 cups fresh strawberries, diced
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a glass roasting dish, place strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice and mix until evenly coated. Then place the pan in the oven and roast for roughly 10-12 minutes. After it is done roasting, you will want to puree the mixture. (You will have leftovers that can be used as well for a topping on Norwegian waffles).

Photo: Nevada Berg
Another shot of the Roasted Strawberry and Lemon Ice Cream, with a marzipan birthday cake in the background.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan add the cream, lemon zest, sugar, and salt and bring to a low simmer so that all the sugar is melted. Reduce to a low temperature and cover the saucepan with a lid. Cook the mixture for roughly 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the mixture from the heat, and in a small bowl add the egg yolks. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup of the cream mixture to temper the eggs (the last thing you want is cooked egg yolk ice cream). Once the eggs are brought to temperature, slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the pan, and place back on medium heat. You will want to cook the mixture until it starts to thicken slightly, or coats the spoon. This process should take about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally.

Once the mixture has slightly thickened, remove from heat and add the buttermilk. After you have mixed in the buttermilk, place a strainer over a bowl and pour the mixture through. This will remove any lumps that may have occurred, or any cooked egg. In the bowl, add 1/2 cup of the strawberry puree. Mix well and then cover bowl.

Chill overnight, and then follow your ice cream machine directions on making the finished product. We added diced fresh strawberries (3/4 cup) right before the ice cream was finished to give it some texture.

Photo: Nevada Berg
Waffles are delicious on their own, but they’re even better with ice cream.

Aniseed Waffles
(Vafler med Anis)
adapted from Sjømannskirken Verdens Beste Vafler

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
0.8 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup milk
6 (scant) tbsps. water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 tsps. aniseed, crushed finely
1 stick butter, melted

Whisk the eggs and sugar together until fluffy. Add 2/3 cup (0.6) of the buttermilk, saving the rest for later use. In a small bowl, blend the water, milk, and melted butter together. Add this to the egg mixture and mix.

In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and aniseed together. Add this to egg mixture and gently blend.

Take the baking soda and mix it into the rest of the reserved buttermilk. Let it fizz up before adding it to the rest of the batter. Do not over mix the batter, as this can cause the waffles to be a bit tough.

Bake in a waffle iron. Serve with the Roasted Strawberry and Lemon Ice Cream or cream and jam.

Nevada Berg is a writer, photographer, and recipe developer living in Rollag, Norway, in the Numedal Valley. She shares the stories, traditions, and history behind Norwegian food, as well as inspiring dishes from local and seasonal ingredients, at www.northwildkitchen.com.

This article originally appeared in the Aug. 26, 2016, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.