No-Churn Strawberry Shortbread Ice Cream
SERVES 6 – 8
2 cups fresh strawberries, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups whipping cream, chilled
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
12 shortbread cookies (Leslie likes Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies)
Fresh mint
Wash and hull strawberries, and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle strawberries with sugar; set aside.
Beat cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form; add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and combine thoroughly; set aside.
Place strawberries in a food processor, and pulse 2 or 3 times. Place cookies in a ziplock bag, and pound until crumbly.
Layer cream mixture, strawberries, and cookies in a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan, repeating twice. Swirl the layers with the blade of a knife after each layer. Top with remaining strawberry slices.
Cover tightly with several sheets of plastic wrap. (Carefully press plastic wrap onto ice cream mixture to prevent any ice crystals from forming.) Freeze for 5 to 6 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes prior to serving. Garnish with strawberries and fresh mint.
Key Lime Bars
MAKES 14 BARS
For the crust:
1½ packages graham crackers (about 15 sheets)
8 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
Filling:
4 large egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest (about 2 limes)
Freshly whipped cream and lime wedges or lime zest for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, pulse graham cracker sheets until finely ground. Empty the graham cracker crumbs into a mixing bowl, and add melted butter and sugar. Stir to combine. Press the crumb mixture into a 9- x 9-inch baking dish. Press firmly with the back of a measuring cup to make it even and crack-free. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
In a second mixing bowl, combine first four filling ingredients with a whisk. Pour over the graham cracker crust, and bake an additional 15 minutes until set. Allow the bars to cool on a wire rack before slicing. Bars can be refrigerated up to 2 days.
Right before serving, remove from the refrigerator, cut into bars, dollop with whipped cream, and garnish with lime wedges or zest.
Easy Lemon Tart
SERVES 8
For the crust:
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup milk
Filling:
1 tart crust
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
5 large egg yolks
½ cup fresh lemon juice, from about 3 to 4 lemons, plus lemon slices for garnish
Fresh mint leaves (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To make the crust, combine flour, sugar, and butter in a bowl with a pastry blender. Stir together egg and milk in a small bowl; add egg mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, to flour mixture. Stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape into a ball; cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 15 minutes.
To assemble the tart, on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle, about ¼-inch thickness. Then place into a fluted 9-inch tart pan. Press lightly into the tin. With the rolling pin, roll over the top edge to neatly trim off any excess dough. Pierce crust with a fork, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly brown. Allow crust to cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Whisk together the condensed milk and egg yolks. Add the lemon juice, and mix until combined.
Pour the filling in the crust, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely at room temperature. Then refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint leaves, if desired.
Cheater Blueberry-Pistachio Ice Cream
MAKES ABOUT 9 CUPS
2 cups blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 half-gallon light vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
1 cup roasted shelled pistachios with sea salt, coarsely chopped
Combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook 5 to 7 minutes or until berries burst and become syrupy. Allow to cool.
Thaw ice cream at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is soft enough to remove from the carton. Place slightly thawed ice cream in a large bowl. Add blueberry mixture; then fold in the pistachios. Combine until all is incorporated. (Don’t worry if there are a few spots of the vanilla peeking through here and there. It will appear “marbleized” when you begin to scoop.)
Place in an airtight container in the freezer for several hours until the ice cream is firm enough to scoop.
Strawberry Sorbet
YIELDS 8 ONE-SCOOP SERVINGS
3 cups strawberries
2 cups sugar
2 cups whole fat buttermilk
Fresh mint, for garnish
Wash, hull, and trim berries. Place all ingredients in a food processor. Liquify until smooth.
Pour into a plastic freezer container. Let freeze overnight. Use an ice cream scoop to serve. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
More Dessert Recipes We Love
- Apple and Blackberry Crumble
- Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
- Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Martini with Raspberry “Olives”
- Pineapple Rum Slushies
- One-Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
