I’ve always had a bit of wanderlust. I like to call it a case of the ‘get-gones’. I like to, you know… get-gone from everywhichwhere I am. Just drop me off at the airport and I’ll figure out the rest… all of this to the great dismay of my parents and my cat who tend to stay in one place for extended amounts of time.
Last month I was lucky enough to be in Asheville, North Carolina where they have the most awe-inspiring blue mountains and the most wonderful chocolate. Can I camp in the mountains and drink chocolate for the rest of my life? I might be ok with that.
This weekend I visited St. Louis where I found seriously good coffee at The Mud House and the most lovely tea from The ReTrailer. Can I just perfect latte art and blend healing teas for the rest of my days? That seems really nice.
The get-gones shape me, in big and subtle ways.
Realistically thought, I can’t always be gone. That’s just unreasonable. There’s Instagram for the times when the get-gones turn into the stay-puts. I mean… really.
I also find myself thumbing through cookbooks when I’m feeling travel-antsy. (I’ve made up a lot of words in this post.) My most recent cookbook traveling adventure is David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen. I haven’t been to Paris yet, but I’m pretty sure I’m 100% ready for the Coq Au Vin. Thank you, David.
David’s recipe for Buttermilk Ice Cream caught my eye. It perfectly marries my love of buttermilk with my love of cold, churned, frozen dairy.
It’s wonderfully simple! No egg yolks. No tempering.
There’s heavy cream for that luscious supple texture, buttermilk for the milky tang, and granulated sugar and vanilla honey for sweetness. I also decided to add a splash of bourbon (which comes pretty naturally to me) to help keep the ice cream scoop able in the freezer.
This creamy, smooth ice cream is like blending frozen yogurt with gelato. So rich and fresh to death!
As with most good ice creams, we’re going to need an ice cream maker to make this fluffy texture possible.
Maybe you have an ice cream mixing bowl chilling in the freezer right now. If you’re that person, I commend you. I’m never that person. I use an ice cream maker that freezes internally. It’s like having an air conditioner that makes its own ice cream, so…. at least there’s that.
I froze the ice cream in a bread pan overnight. When I scooped it the next day I was amazed at how creamy and scoopable the ice cream was. For this we can thank the fat from heavy cream and the unfreezing alcohol of bourbon. Also… it’s tastes daaaang good!
Strawberries are showing off. They’re sweet and ripe and basically begging to be paired with this tart ice cream. Fine. You win, strawberries. We all win.
This ice cream is simple with a side of tart. It’s lovely when paired with fresh fruit, but would also be wonderful over a warm fruit pie… I’m thinking Peach Blueberry Pie.
Buttermilk Ice Cream with strawberries
makes 1 quart
adapted slightly from My Paris Kitchen
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
strawberries and a bit of granulated sugar for topping
In a small saucepan, warm the cream over low heat with the sugar and honey until the sugar is completely dissolved. Place the mixture in a bowl and refrigerate until chilled through, 6 to 8 hours.
Stir the buttermilk and bourbon into the chilled sweetened cream. Freeze according to your manufacturer’s ice cream maker instructions. I churned my ice cream for about 30 minutes. Once churned, transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze overnight, or until firm enough to scoop.
Just before serving, toss together sliced strawberries and a few pinches of granulated sugar. Allow to rest for 15 minutes at room temperature. Scoop ice cream and top with strawberries and juice. Enjoy!
Jill
This looks amazing! Is there any substitute you could suggest for the bourbon to help with the freezing process? I find when I make ice cream it’s not very scoopable (word?!) after it freezes over night….but I don’t drink alcohol.
STLMary
Joy, how fun to hear you were in St. Louis this weekend! I hope you enjoyed the lovely weather. The Mud House is really a treasure- as is Whisk Bakery on Cherokee. Come back soon!
Arthur in the Garden!
I was wondering about making this over the weekend because I had some buttermilk in the refrigerate.
naivecookcooks
Ice cream looks so creamy and that’s how I eat my ice creams with- loads of fresh strawberries!
Nora&Laura
oh my…that looks SO good!!!
x
laura&nora
Bailey Wallace
I’m drooling! That looks amazing.
Next time you’re in The Lou, you should check out Ted Drews. It’s heaven.
Rhea Gupte (@TheGirlFromFUSS)
Looks delicious! I’m going to try it!
Xx
Rhea
http://www.fuss.co.in
Taylor
I want all the ice cream! I can’t wait to try this recipe out!
xoxo
Taylor
Carolyn
Wow, I have a vat of strawberries in my fridge… I think I need to make this happen!
Jessica
I hope you enjoyed St. Louis! We’ve lived here for about five years and just love it. If you liked The Mud House, you should try Rise Coffee next time. Similar vibe, great coffee and baked goodies. You’d like it. Oh, and Strange Donuts.
Maggie K.
Hi Joy! I am headed to Saint Louis in a month and I’d love recommendations for any other great places to eat. I will be staying downtown, right near the arch. I will be there on my own attending a conference for a week and I’d love to check out the local cuisine!
Courtney
Truly gorgeous shots Joy – as usual!
Thanks for sharing,
Courtney & Kelsey
http://www.nikitaandvesper.com
Maebells
You just took me back to every single summer of my childhood! Buttermilk ice cream was our treat of choice! Loving the addition of strawberries!
theamclain
I’m glad you came back to STL! I love this city, and we do have some major coffee. Sorry I missed you!
Shannon L.
Hi, Joy!
I know I’m writing this on the wrong post, but I just made your best chocolate buttercream recipe over the weekend. I’m not even kidding, it was literally the best icing I have ever had! My husband’s quote, “You’re getting dangerously good at this…” THANK YOU for the recipe!
Shannon