Strawberry-Rooibos Buttermilk Ice Cream

What are you making with farmers market strawberries this summer? I’m making ice cream!

Of course, I’m infusing my ice cream with rooibos for a tea foodie twist. In this case, I’m using a powdered rooibos. It’s ground fine like matcha green tea powder and can be used a lot like matcha for lattes, baking, seasoning and, in this case, ice cream. If you can’t find a powdered rooibos, you can make a fine grind with loose leaf rooibos and achieve a similar effect.

In this recipe, the bittersweet-ness of the powdered rooibos pairs well with the sour tang of buttermilk and the sugary sweet strawberries. It’s a perfectly refreshing summer tea-infused treat.

Happy cooking and sipping!

Adapted by Suzanne Klein, Tea Foodie from the Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream recipe on the food blog Stresscake, which was adapted from David Leibovitz’s must-have cookbook, The Perfect Scoop.

Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:

1 lb. strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 cup sugar, divided

1 tablespoon red rooibos tea powder (or fine ground loose leaf red rooibos tea)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

6 egg yolks

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Stir ½ cup sugar into sliced strawberries and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Sugar will start to dissolve and strawberries will release their liquid.

2. Whisk egg yolks together until smooth in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Whisk cream and remaining ½ cup sugar together in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved and mixture just barely boils.

4. Remove cream and sugar mixture from heat and whisk just a bit of it into the egg yolks to temper. (This warms the eggs so they don’t cook in the hot cream.) Slowly whisk in the remaining cream into the egg yolks.

5. Pour the cream and egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan and return it to medium heat. Stirring constantly, cook until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. If the mixture is clumpy, strain it into a separate bowl. (This way you’ll have a smoother texture for your final ice cream.)

6. In a blender, combine the sugar-marinated strawberries and rooibos powder. Blend until smooth. Fold strawberry puree into cream mixture and refrigerate until well chilled.

7. Stir buttermilk and vanilla into chilled strawberry-cream mixture and process in an ice cream maker according the manufacturer’s directions, then freeze.

8. Serve in adorable little tea cups and enjoy!