Celebrate Canada Day with Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream with Chocolate Balsamic Sauce

Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream
with Chocolate Balsamic Sauce

I hope you enjoyed your Canada day celebrations. We started the celebrations early on this blog and have been revelling ever since. I hope you have enjoyed following along with my patriotic menu. Today is my final post in my "Red (and White)" challenge. It has been a good deal of fun for me to challenge myself to come up with a menu based on a theme. Each dish has represented Canada as a melting pot of cultures, tastes and sounds which is an exact replica of what the philosophy of Canada is all about. With this unique red and white menu we have visited the four corners of the world  and focused on fresh, local and Canadian ingredients.

As stated in previous posts not only were we wearing red and white T-shirts and sun hats at the MTBT household (the colours of the Canadian flag), but, we also enjoyed a feast of red and white dishes... from appetizers to dessert.  I dreamed up a red and white menu that would make our ancestors proud and one that celebrated the Canadian spirit. After all what is a celebration without food!!! And what is Canada Day without red and white somewhere in the picture, or as in this case the star of the show. We wandered downtown and along the waterway with thousands of other people to have birthday cake, listen to music and enjoy the sunshine. Afterall we are a tourist town with many attractions and greenspace.

A Mountie joins the celebrations in the Okanagan

This year my patriotic red and white menu for my Is My Face is Red (and White) Challenge consisted of Rhubarb Lemonade, Red Pepper Hummus Sushi , Canadian Whiskey and Brown Sugar Flank Steak with Smashed Red Potatoes and a Goat Cheese Salad with Basil Vinaigrette. For dessert how could we top last years Raspberry Tiramisu as a reader so kindly pointed out to me!!!You may be right but this icecream made with roasted strawberries topped with a balsamic chocolate sauce comes pretty close!

When I came across this recipe for a roasted strawberry ice cream on Jerry's blog I instantly knew what I would be making for Canada Day celebrations and this years Red and White menu. I wanted to go one step further and experiment with balsamic vinegar and chocolate for a delectable topping since there was balsamic vinegar in the roasted strawberries. I searched the Internet and came up dry so decided to wing it! I am so glad that I did since the balsamic vinegar adds a depth of flavour to the sauce that has you guessing what's there. Strawberry season is short lived this year so I wanted to make the most of it with intense flavours and special dishes.

**Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream with  Balsamic Chocolate Sauce**

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 recipe Balsamic Roasted Strawberries (recipe below)
• 1 recipe Balsamic Chocolate Sauce (recipe below)

 1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan bring the milk and cream to a boil. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale. Continue to whisk while slowing pouring in the hot mixture until it is completely incorporated. Pour the entire thing back into the pan and stir until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour into a bowl, stir in the vanilla extract and then cover and refrigerate until completely chilled.

2. Once both the strawberries and the custard are completely cool, get out your ice cream maker. Take a couple scoops of strawberries with juice out of the bowl and set aside. Strain the rest of the strawberries and combine the juice with the custard and pour into your ice cream machine and process according to your manufacturer’s instructions. When your ice cream is almost ready, add in the strained berries until they’re just incorporated, (if you add them in at the beginning, the machine has a hard time processing them). Put the finished ice cream into a container for a few hours to harden. Serve with Balsamic Chocolate Sauce and ENJOY!!!!!!

**Balsamic Roasted Strawberries**
(adapted slightly from Zoë Bakes)

• 2 pounds of strawberries
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil so that it goes all the way up on all sides so that the wonderful juice that’s going to be created can’t escape.

2. Wash and hull the strawberries and pat dry. Toss with the sugar and let stand for 30 minutes.

3.  Add the balsamic and toss again and then spread out onto your baking tray.

4. Bake for approx 40 minutes, until strawberries are jammy and there’s lots of juice. Pour the berries into a bowl and put in the fridge to cool completely.

**Balsamic Chocolate Sauce**

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of salt
• 4 ounces dark chocolate (preferably 61 percent cacao), finely chopped

1.Bring cream, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour over chocolate, and whisk to combine until chocolate is melted. Serve over ice cream.

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