A hot summer day, a good book, a seat by the pool and nothing on the agenda but relaxation. Calls for a yummy beverage or maybe a cool treat? Since it is National Ice Cream Day, on the coattails of National Margarita Day, how about some Strawberry Margarita Ice Cream? A few simple, all-natural ingredients and the magic of an ice cream maker and voila, a decadent summer treat!
Strawberry Margarita Ice Cream Ingredients
Whipping Cream: Unlike store-bought ice cream, which can be full of additives, this contains all-natural ingredients. The main basis of ice cream is whipping cream. Choose your favourite brand. I always like to pick up a half liter when it is on sale to keep in the fridge.
Ultra-fine Sugar: To sweeten up the ice cream, it is best to use ultra-fine sugar. This is the sugar used to make jam; it dissolves very quickly. Since this is not a custard-based ice cream, that contains eggs and is heated, it will dissolve more easily.
If you don't have ultra-fine sugar you can easily make your own by putting sugar in a high-speed blender, or a hand blender, and blending until the sugar is ground to a finer granule; 30-60 seconds depending on the power of your appliance.
Strawberries: Strawberries are always best in season. Ontario has the best strawberries I have ever tasted. Usually available mid-June until the first week of July. Shout out to Brantwood Farms! I had purchased some freshly picked strawberries during peak season and frozen them for just such an occasion as a lazy summer day!
If you do not have in-season or freshly frozen in-season strawberries, do not fret! You can purchase frozen or fresh berries in the grocery store. It may be worth the cost to choose hot-house berries versus those that have traveled a distance. Strawberries picked when ripe are always best.
In order to puree the strawberries, just thaw them on the counter or give a jump start by microwaving for 30 seconds to thaw. I like to cut a few (quarter cup) into little chunks to add in near the end of the process.
Now the Fun Part: Turn This Sweet Treat Into a Cocktail!
A strawberry margarita has strawberries, tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and simple syrup. We have already talked about the sugar and the strawberries. That leaves the alcohol and limes.
Lime: Let’s start with the lime. I used the zest and juice of one lime. Make sure you use a fine zest so that you do not have chunks. Zest really ups the flavouring of the lime, but will still be delicious if you only have lime juice on hand.
Tequila and orange liqueur: The proportions of tequila to orange liqueur are about 2:1. For this recipe, I added two ounces of silver tequila and one ounce of orange liqueur. Basically, you can use your favourite silver or blanco tequila
Popular orange liqueur brands are Cointreau or Grand Marnier. I have chosen to use a local orange liqueur by our favourite local distillery, Mann’s Distillery. They use real oranges and make a lovely Triple Sec.
Automatic Ice-Cream Makers
I am far from an expert here. I have only owned one. It is a Pampered Chef brand. It works well.
How to Make Strawberry Margarita Ice Cream
Ingredients
Directions
Freeze your ice cream maker bowl 24 hours previous or as per manufacturer's directions
Puree all but ¼-½ cup of the strawberries. Then chop the remaining strawberries into little chunks and place in refrigerator until later. Feel free to puree them all if you prefer not to have chunks in your ice cream.
Mix the:
- Puree
- Sugar
- lime juice and zest
in a large measuring container or medium bowl and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Add the whipping cream and combine well.
Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for an hour or the freezer for 20-30 minutes to make sure all ingredients are well chilled prior to adding to the ice cream maker.
Add to the chilled ice cream maker bowl and mix according to manufacturer instructions. Mine says 20 minutes to soft-serve. I usually run for about 30 minutes.
In last 5 minutes, add the chunks of berries that you have reserved along with the tequila and orange liqueur.
Chill until reaching the consistency you prefer. Enjoy!
Pro Tips
This is a boozy ice cream so there are a few gotcha's you need to watch out for.
The Alcohol Will Lower the Freezing Point
Alcohol has a lower freezing point than water so you need to be judicious when adding alcohol to ice cream. If you add too much your ice cream will not freeze properly and will be soft, or even slushy.
You want to add enough alcohol that you can taste it without adding so much that it prevents the ice cream from freezing properly. Balance is key here.
A good rule-of-thumb is to add 1-2 oz. of spirits per pint (16 oz. of liquid, or 2 cups) of ice cream, but this will depend on the alcohol content of the spirit you're adding. You can be a little more generous with liqueurs such as Bailey's or Triple Sec, but if you're adding a high-proof bourbon you'll need to be careful.
Add the Spirits at the Right Time
I recommend adding the spirits at the end of the blending process, at the same time as any solid pieces of fruit. That way the ice cream is allowed to reach the desired consistency, without being affected by the alcohol.
Serve Boozy Ice Cream in Chilled Bowls
Boozy ice cream will melt quicker than regular ice cream so I recommend serving it in a chilled bowl. Place bowls in the freezer for 15 – 20 minutes before serving to extend the amount of time the ice cream stays frozen after serving.
Notes
- Time is based on ice cream bowl already being frozen according to manufacturers instructions before you begin
- For this recipe we have 1 pint of whipping cream, plus 1 pint of strawberries so you could probably add a little more tequila if desired and the ice cream would still freeze properly. Go ahead and experiment to find the combination that best suits your taste.
- Ice cream usually has vanilla added, in fact almost everything I make with whipping cream has vanilla. Resist the temptation to add vanilla. Strawberry margaritas do not have any vanilla flavouring in them!
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