Strawberry and Black Pepper Ice Cream

Similar to my strawberry balsamic ice cream, black pepper accents enhance the strawberry flavor and add a subtle warmth to a cool ice cream dish. 

Happy day after Super Bowl!!! That is, unless you are a Steelers fan. In that case, take a mental health day and go back to bed. I know I want to, and I'm not even a big fan! ...probably just the Monday morning talking...or the busy weekend of cooking, shopping, and baking in preparation for the big game. Turns out I spend far too much time in German grocers reading syrup bottle labels, to be a productive member of society (read: good person who sleeps at night instead of bakes into the wee hours of the morning)...but finding Elderflower (light and dark) syrup is just a wee bit too interesting to pass over.

Also interesting......what to do when your friend asks for a batch of your strawberry balsamic ice cream, you are half way through making it, go to add the balsamic and it's not there. Not anywhere. I've been re-arranging my kitchen (continuously) and I'm sure I've mislaid it, but where? I honestly looked everywhere I could think of! Well? Strawberry Black Pepper is actually the first ice cream I made after getting an ice cream maker. I made it for the college football championship last year (when Alabama won, Roll Tide, Roll Tide, Roll), so for another championship game, out comes the strawberry black pepper. :) But make sure you really grind the pepper well, as it can be a tad bit jarring to suddenly get a large clump of pepper in your mouth all at once!

Strawberry and Black Pepper Ice Cream

2 eggs
3/4 cups sugar
2 cups cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup strawberry jelly
1/2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

In a stand mixer combine the eggs and sugar.  Beat for one minute until light and fluffy.

Gently mix in the cream, milk, strawberry jelly, and black pepper. 

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to churn until finished and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Enjoy! 

Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream

Balsamic Vinegar in Ice Cream? YEP! If you read my Kansas City post you know that that Glace Artisan Ice Cream makes this flavor and I couldn't help but try to make an easy copy cat recipe! The balsamic really accents the strawberries perfectly, enhancing the flavor ever just so.

I feel like lately I'm announcing more than the average amount of vacation's I'll be taking. I just went to Kansas, I'll be going to London and Edinburgh, and yes I have another vacation to announce! Well....vacation may be a strong word. I'm heading home to Good Ol' Gilbert, Arizona for a four day trip! Drum roll please: And bringing Stephen too! That poor dermatologist and all his sunscreen won't know what him! I'm not sure if he's even been in the desert for five hours...I'm actually not sure he's even been in the desert at all. Oh goodness, this could be very funny!

We're going soon too! Didn't really plan this ahead but two weeks from today we'll be flying out to Arizona. I can't wait to see his reaction to a "scor-pop." Not sure what your reaction should be? Picture a lollipop with a scorpion in it.....there ya go! That's the facial reaction I was looking for!!!! Oh, and then there's the Mexican food. Just keep in mind: everything is hotter in Arizona. It might be bigger in Texas, but it's hotter there!

What I'm REALLY excited about is that two weeks from tomorrow we're going to go spend a day in Sedona, Arizona AND GO ON A PINK JEEP TOUR! Okay, so it's probably not as fun as I think it is, but I hope it is! It's a rock climbing jeep tour that takes your out four wheeling in the desert. The tour I want to do takes us out to Indian cliff dwellings and rock walls full of hieroglyphics! Nerd alert: I think hieroglyphs are fun. We used to paint them in elementary school for class projects. But hey, even if you aren't into Native American dwellings, a rock climbing jeep tour? That's just awesome.

And now for my shameless segway: And with all that heat I bet I'll be dying for some good ice cream when we get back! Too bad Sedona won't have anything like this Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream. Yes. That was pretty awful. Just endure it. It's worth it. The ice cream is divine! One of my friends actually licked the bowl, and when a grown, well educated man licks the bowl that really says something!!!!

Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream

2 eggs
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
3/4 cups sugar
2 cups cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup strawberry jelly

In a stand mixer combine the eggs and sugar.  Beat for one minute until light and fluffy. 

Gently mix in the cream, milk strawberry jelly and balsamic vinegar. 

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to churn until finished and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Enjoy!