Strawberry-Balsamic Gelato

Personally, I'm not wild about strawberry ice creams or frozen yogurt. But I do like fresh strawberries and they're in season right now in the Pacific NW and they look so beautiful! So when I found this recipe for Strawberry-Balsamic gelato I thought I'd give it a go!

Ingredients

¾ C sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup milk

3½ C fresh strawberries; hulled and quartered

4 Tbls balsamic vinegar*

Preparation

Stir sugar and cornstarch in heavy saucepan. Whisk in milk and cream. Whisk over medium heat until gelato base thickens and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; cool over ice, stirring occasionally.

Puree strawberries in processor. Strain into gelato base. Mix in balsamic vinegar. Chill 2+ hours. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately or transfer to an air-tight container to freeze if a firmer consistency is desired.

* A white balsamic would preserve the bright, fresh strawberry coloring better; but the dark has a richer flavor...your choice! :)

For a creamier version (strawberry-balsamic ice cream) use 1½ C of heavy cream in place of the milk. I added extra fresh diced strawberries at the end of the freezing process, just before serving. I love both the taste and texture. However...once the 'leftovers' were frozen to save for later, the strawberry chunks froze harder than the rest of the gelato and, in my opinion, were much less appealing.