Easy Cheesecake Ice Cream

A recent trip to Venice in February was a culinary paradise!  Little shops with cakes and decadent pastries and macarons.... and, oh, the ice creams....  I've decided it's never too cold for ice cream, particularly the way it is served in Italy, with the oblong tubs of the different flavours, each one decorated to make it even more tempting!   The strawberry cheesecake ice cream was totally covered in crumbed digestive biscuit, with a strawberry layer beneath, and huge chunks of strawberries embedded in the ice cream itself.   If you used gluten free digestive biscuits, then it would all be gluten free.

So, here is my take on it, given that I prefer the strawberries to be whole, if possible!   OK, nul points for beauty, but dix points for taste...

Easy Cheesecake Ice Cream 

Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

2 egg yolks

1 vanilla pod, or 1tsp good quality vanilla extract

3oz/80g caster sugar

15floz/400ml mixed milk and cream – normally 2/3 cream to 1/3 milk

Juice of half a lemon

7oz/180g tub of full fat soft cheese (like Philadelphia)

Sauce:

5oz150g small strawberries, hulled (fresh or frozen)

2oz/50g sugar

Small quantity of water

3 digestive biscuits, crushed (you could use gluten free biscuits)

Separate the egg yolks into a bowl/food processor (putting the whites into a jar to make meringues later), then open the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds onto the yolks.  Add the caster sugar and the soft cheese and beat the mixture together.  Slowly add the cream/milk mixture and the lemon juice and whisk until it is well combined.   

Note:  If you wanted a more unctuous texture, plus you had more time, heat the lemon juice, milk and cream until blood heat, pour onto the yolks and sugar, and then heat again to thicken it, before slowly whisking in the soft cheese. 

Pour into an ice cream maker and churn until it is thick – probably about 35-50 minutes, depending on the warmth of the day.   This quantity usually makes about 1 pint, enough for 4 or 5.   

Whilst this is going on, put the strawberries into a pan, adding the sugar and water.  Simmer gently until the water has formed a syrup, but the strawberries haven’t disintegrated.  Chill the mixture, adding some to the ice cream if you wish.  

To serve, break up the digestive biscuits and either add them to the ice cream before it has finished, or simply scatter over the top and pour on the sauce.