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Strawberry Balsamic Black Pepper Ice Cream made in a Ninja CREAMi, served
AI-generated photo, not of a test batch

Strawberry Balsamic Black Pepper

Deep pink and creamy, with strawberries steeped in balsamic and a little black pepper. It tastes like the ripest berries, not savory at all.

Hands-on
25 min
Freeze
24 h
Program
Ice Cream
Makes
4 servings6 servings

Good forValentine’s DaySummerWild flavors

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Nutrition

Per 100 g, estimatedPer serving (¼ of a 473 ml16 oz tubpint, about 121 g), estimated

199kcal
1.5 gProtein
13 gFat
20 gCarbs
18 gSugar
241kcal
2 gProtein
16 gFat
24 gCarbs
22 gSugar

Whole tubpint: 963 kcal, 7 g protein1445 kcal, 11 g protein (709 ml24 oz). Contains: Milk.

Ingredients

7 ingredients
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TubPint size

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strawberries, hulled (fresh or frozen)granulated sugarbalsamic vinegarfreshly ground black pepperfine saltcream cheeseheavy cream max fill
strawberries, hulled (fresh or frozen)granulated sugarbalsamic vinegarfreshly ground black pepperfine saltcream cheeseheavy cream max fill

448 of 473 ml673 of 709 ml

In the tubpintScale reads

TubsPints
1
Remix in the Pint Builder

Steps

  1. Halve 220 g strawberries350 ml strawberries1½ cups strawberries330 g strawberries530 ml strawberries2¼ cups strawberries and toss them in a bowl with 70 g caster or granulated sugar85 ml caster or granulated sugar⅓ cup granulated sugar105 g caster or granulated sugar120 ml caster or granulated sugar½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar1 tbsp balsamic vinegar1 tbsp balsamic vinegar1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of fine salta pinch of fine salta pinch of fine salta pinch of fine salta pinch of fine salta pinch of fine salt.
  2. Let them sit for 20 minutes, stirring once, until the sugar has dissolved and the berries are juicy.
  3. Blend the berries and all their juice with 20 g full-fat cream cheese1½ tbsp full-fat cream cheese1½ tbsp cream cheese30 g full-fat cream cheese2 tbsp full-fat cream cheese2 tbsp cream cheese until completely smooth.
  4. Add 160 ml whipping cream160 ml whipping cream⅔ cup heavy cream240 ml whipping cream240 ml whipping cream1 cup heavy cream and blend for 5 seconds, only until mixed.
  5. Pour the base into an empty tubpint, up to the max fill line. Put the lid on and freeze on a level shelf for 24 hours.
  6. Take the lid off, set the tubpint in the outer bowl and lock it into the machine. Run Ice Cream.
  7. If it looks crumbly or powdery, add 15 ml whole milk1 tbsp whole milk1 tbsp whole milk25 ml whole milk1½ tbsp whole milk1½ tbsp whole milk and run Re-spin.

To serve: Finish each scoop with a thin drizzle of balsamic syrup and a crack of black pepper.

My notes

Tips

  • Frozen strawberries work. Let them thaw in the sugar and balsamic instead of sitting for 20 minutes, and use all the juice.
  • Balsamic vinegars differ a lot. With a thin, sharp one, start with 2 tsp; a thick, aged one can take the full amount. For a clear peppery kick, use up to ½ tsp pepper.
  • For the drizzle, simmer 3 tbsp balsamic in a small pan for 2 to 3 minutes, until syrupy. It thickens more as it cools and keeps for weeks in a jar.

Why it works

Sugar draws juice from the berries and dissolves into it, so less free water freezes into ice. Acid from the balsamic and the gentle bite of pepper sharpen the strawberry flavor, which cold otherwise dulls.

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