Wash and hull the strawberries, and chop into bite-size pieces.

In a small bowl, combine chopped strawberries, honey, lemon juice, and sugar. Stir, then set aside and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk milk, cream, vanilla bean paste, salt, and alcohol (if using) in a large mixing bowl, and set aside.

Mash strawberries using a potato masher or immersion blender. The main goal is to break up any very large pieces. The mixture should resemble a thick, chunky jam rather than a juice or puree. (If the berries are overly liquified, your ice cream will be icy rather than smooth.)

Stir berries into the milk/cream mixture. Cover bowl and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

While mixture chills, prepare fudge sauce by combining all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and stir until slightly thickened, about two minutes. Pour into a small bowl and chill in the fridge until ready to use.

Next, chop dark chocolate into bite-size pieces, and set aside.

Using an ice cream maker, churn ice cream mixture according to manufacturer’s instructions. Once churned, stir in chopped chocolate.

Scoop ice cream into a plastic storage container, alternating with spoonfuls of fudge sauce. You might not need all of the fudge sauce. If you have some left over, it makes a delicious sundae topping!

Freeze ice cream for at least 3-4 hours, or overnight. Allow to soften on the countertop for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.