No ice cream maker? No problem!
This no-churn strawberry ice cream is sure to become a summertime staple
Photo: Maria Stordahl Nelson
Chill out this berry season with no-churn strawberry ice cream.
Maria Stordahl Nelson
Seattle, Wash.
Each spring, without fail, when the longer days creep up and the temperatures begin their slow but inevitable climb, my mind turns with anticipation toward the beginning of berry season. Berries in the Pacific Northwest have their own special sort of magic. Smaller than berries found in other climes, they are sweet and delicate and their season is fleeting. So when they do arrive, it’s always a mad dash to pick as much as you can and find as many ways to preserve and make the bounty last just a tiny bit longer. I know Norwegians feel the same way about their berries, as their season is just as short and precious as ours.
In recent years, in an effort to broaden my recipe repertoire and vary the ways I preserve my berries, I’ve become a fan of making no-churn ice creams. If you’re not familiar with them, they are essentially ice cream made with a whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk base. And the best part? No ice cream maker required. Their simplicity and unfussy nature make them the perfect way to use up fresh or frozen fruit and their clean, simple ingredient list reminds me that this is food the way it’s meant to be enjoyed.
Because I cannot leave well enough alone, I’ve also taken to adding cardamom to my ice cream recipes, and I must say now that it’s a thing I can’t imagine my ice cream without. It simply goes with everything. Delicious in custard-based ice creams, hazelnut, caramel, and now in strawberry, it adds a beautiful depth and dimension of flavor that cannot be matched.
No Churn Strawberry Cardamom Ice Cream
1 lb. fresh or frozen strawberries
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp. finely ground cardamom
1 tsp. coarsely ground cardamom
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream
pinch of salt
In a large sauce pan, combine the berries*, sugar, and cardamom. Heat over medium low until the berries are soft. Smash the berries lightly with the back of a wooden spoon, leaving some large and small chunks. Set aside to cool.
Once the berry mixture has cooled, pour the sweetened condensed milk into it and combine. In a mixer, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the berry mixture, then add the berry mixture, the pinch of salt, and the coarsely ground cardamom to the remaining whipped cream in the mixer bowl. Fold the ingredients together until just combined.
Pour mixture into a large loaf pan. I prefer a large 4×13” Pullman loaf pan with a lid, but any large loaf pan will do. Cover pan with lid or tightly with plastic wrap and freeze overnight or for a minimum of 5 hours.
Remove from freezer and let sit for 3 minutes before scooping. Enjoy!
*If you would like larger chunks of berries in your ice cream, reserve ½ cup of the berry mixture before combining and swirl this through the remainder once you pour it into the loaf pan.
Maria Stordahl Nelson is a Seattle-area food writer, photographer, and recipe developer. She shares her love of all things sweet, savory, and sometimes Nordic at www.pinkpatisserie.net.
This article originally appeared in the June 2, 2017, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
