Hull and quarter the fresh strawberries. If strawberries are not very sweet, toss them with the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and let sit 5–10 minutes to macerate and release juice.

Blend base

In a high-speed blender add the macerated strawberries with their juices, whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla ice cream, vanilla extract, and fine salt. Blend on medium-high until smooth, about 20–30 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides once if needed.

Ice & Finish

Add ice and adjust texture

With the blender running on low, add the crushed ice through the lid opening and increase to high. Pulse 3–6 times until the mixture is thick, smooth, and pourable but still frosty — about 10–15 seconds. If too thin, add a few more ice cubes and pulse; if too thick, add up to 1 tablespoon milk and pulse once or twice.

Taste and sweeten

Taste the frappe and adjust sweetness if needed. Add up to 1 additional tablespoon sugar or 1 tablespoon strawberry syrup and blend briefly to incorporate.

Serve

Pour the frappe into a 16 oz chilled glass, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace for topping. Top with whipped cream. Drizzle strawberry syrup or puree over the whipped cream if using. Garnish the rim with a halved fresh strawberry on the glass edge.

Optional: make ahead

If preparing the fruit base earlier, refrigerate the blended fruit-milk-cream mix for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, re-blend with the ice to refresh texture.