Posted under:
Beer and FoodSUPPLIES
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla or 1 vanilla bean
- 2 cups heavy cream
- Pot
- Whisk
- Ice cream maker
- Freezer-safe container
Overview
Making homemade ice cream requires just a handful of ingredients that you'll probably already have on hand. The milk and cream contribute creaminess, the cream and yolks add richness, the sugar adds sweetness, the vanilla adds flavor, and the salt brings out and helps balance the flavor. The cream, which has less water and more fat than plain milk, will help the mixture from forming ice crystals. Your ice cream maker will also prevent ice crystals through constant churning, which breaks the crystals up, and with the even freezing.
Step 1
Beat the egg yolks and set them aside.
Step 2
Combine the milk, sugar and salt in a pot.
Step 3
Slice the vanilla bean open lengthwise and use the back of a knife to scrape the seeds out. Add both the seeds and the pod to the milk mixture.
Step 4
Heat the milk over medium heat, stirring continuously until all the sugar is dissolved and just before the milk starts to boil.
Step 5
Slowly pour the warm milk into the beaten egg yolks, whisking the mixture as you pour, until you've poured all the milk into the egg yolks.
Step 6
Pour the milk and egg mixture back into the pot, and heat over low heat, whisking constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing is stuck there. Whisk until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the vanilla bean.
Step 7
Slowly add the heavy whipping cream to the milk and egg mixture, whisking until everything is well-combined. If you are using vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean, add the vanilla extract at this point.
Step 8
Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours. This will help the mixture freeze quicker and more evenly.
Step 9
Once the mixture is chilled, pour it into your ice cream maker and churn according to directions.
Step 10
After churning, transfer the ice cream into a freezer-safe container and freeze until the mixture is solid. To serve, let the mixture soften slightly so that it is easier to scoop.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- TIP : Your ice cream will not become completely solid in the ice cream maker; it will have the consistency of soft serve. You must finish freezing the mixture in the freezer.
Chilling the mixture before churning it will help freeze it more quickly and evenly. While 2 hours of chilling time will help this process, chilling the mixture overnight will chill the mixture more evenly.
This vanilla ice cream recipe makes a good base for other flavors. You can add fruit or fruit puree, chocolate or nuts to the mixture. Chunky items should be added during the last moments of churning, or even after you've finished churning, mixing the add-ins in before freezing.
Resources
