Strawberry & Honey Buckle with Marsala Ice Cream

Almost any fruit can be used in this recipe, along with any herb you like. Leftover strawberries are really delicious with yogurt and granola or over ice cream. The ice cream will be soft, so be sure to freeze it until hardened after removing it from the ice cream machine.

For the ice cream

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• Kosher salt
• 1-1⁄2 cups heavy cream
• 1⁄2 cup sweet Marsala

For the crumb topping

• 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 oz. (4 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the strawberries

• 3 cups chopped fresh strawberries
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• Zest from half a lemon
• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
• 1⁄4 cup fresh anise hyssop leaves or mint leaves, finely chopped

For the cake

• Cooking spray
• 4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
• 3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1⁄2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 cup whole milk

For garnish

• 1/2 cup mild honey
• 1/2 cup prepared granola

Make the ice cream

In a medium bowl, gently beat the egg yolks and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and remove the pan from the heat.

In a steady stream, pour half of the milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.

Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a silicone spatula until the custard thickens slightly (it should be thick enough to coat the spatula and hold a line drawn through it with a finger), 4 to 8 minutes. Don’t let the sauce overheat or boil, or it will curdle. Immediately strain the custard into a clean bowl. Stir in the cream and Marsala. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 8 hours or up to overnight.

Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the just-churned ice cream to an airtight container, and freeze until hardened, at least 4 hours and up to 2 weeks.

Make the topping

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, blend in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Refrigerate until needed.

Prepare the strawberries

In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon zest, salt, and anise hyssop. Toss to combine and set aside.

Make the cake

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.
Spray the insides of 8 (8 oz.) mason jars with cooking spray and place
the jars in a baking dish or roasting pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the egg to the butter and sugar, followed by the vanilla, mixing until combined. Add the dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Spoon 3 Tbs. of the batter into each prepared mason jar. Top the batter with 2 Tbs. of the strawberries mixture (you will have some left over), and top the strawberries with 2 Tbs. of the crumb topping (you will have a little left over), mashing some together to form large clumps.

Bake until the tops are just starting to brown and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the jar, rotating the pan halfway through, about 45-55 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then drizzle each with 1 Tbs. of honey and top with 1 Tbs. of granola. Serve with the ice cream.