She Strengthens

Transforming a Tasty Spread into a Dreamy Dessert

Getting creative with Biscoff’s spiced cookie spread led me to a sweet surprise: strawberry cheesecake ice cream. The smooth, graham cracker-flavored spread reminded me of a strawberry cheesecake crust, inspiring me to incorporate it into a unique dessert.

The Perfect Ingredients

To make this dreamy ice cream, you’ll need:

• 1/2 cup spiced cookie butter or spread
• 8 ounces strawberries, washed, hulled, and cut into large dice
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from about 1 medium lemon)
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2 medium lemons)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 8 ounces cream cheese

Preparing the Cookie Butter

Spread the cookie butter onto a sheet of parchment paper, shaping it into a roughly 10-by-6-inch rectangle. Freeze it until stiff and easy to tear into pieces, at least 2 hours.

Crafting the Strawberry Sauce

Meanwhile, mix the strawberries and 1/3 cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Mash them with a potato masher until half of the strawberries are smashed, leaving some medium-sized chunks. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbles form along the edge. Add lemon zest and juice, then bring to a full boil. Remove from heat, let cool, and refrigerate until chilled.

Blending the Ice Cream Base

Combine the remaining lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, milk, and cream cheese in a blender. Blend until smooth, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Assembling the Ice Cream

Once the cookie butter and strawberry sauce are ready, tear the cookie butter into rough pieces and fold them into the finished ice cream with a rubber spatula. Add the chilled strawberry sauce and fold until a thick swirl is visible. Serve immediately for a soft ice cream or transfer to an airtight container and freeze until solid.

Tips and Timing

• Make sure your ice cream maker’s bowl is fully frozen before starting this recipe.
• The strawberry mixture can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
• This recipe yields about 1 quart of ice cream and takes approximately 30 minutes to prepare, plus 1 hour 15 minutes of cooling and chilling time.

Enjoy your delicious strawberry cheesecake ice cream!