Posts Tagged ‘ice cream’

In the almost two years that I’ve owned an ice cream maker, I hadn’t made vanilla ice cream until yesterday.  Vanilla ice cream has always taken a backseat to its more interesting counterpart, chocolate.  Well, for me at least.  But vanilla ice cream does pair perfectly with more decadent desserts.  I made this batch of ice cream to serve with homemade apple pie (recipe forthcoming!).  Both desserts, when combined, are absolutely dreamy.  A rich, creamy, and buttery dream.  (Can you tell I’m about to eat both right now?  I mean, just after hitting “publish”.)  I usually try to keep the recipes on this blog to skew on the savory side, but between last week’s pumpkin spice latter, today’s ice cream, and tomorrow’s pie recipe… well, you’re not going to mind, right?

Note: Vanilla beans are pricey, but you can still get more than one use out of them. Instead of throwing the bean away, rinse it with water and let it dry completely. Once it has dried, store it in a jar with sugar or a bottle of maple syrup for a delicious vanilla-infused sweetener.

Vanilla Ice Cream
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2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar (3/4 cup if you prefer something on the sweeter side)
pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)

In a medium-sized sauce pan, heat milk, sugar, over low heat. Stir constantly until the sugar has melted, do not scald the milk! Use a pairing knife to split the vanilla bean lengthwise and carefully scrape out the seeds, add the vanilla bean to the saucepan.

In a large bowl, lightly beat together 6 egg yolks. Slowly add a couple ladlefuls of the hot milk to the eggs, stirring constantly. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue cooking until the mixture reads 160 F on a thermometer. Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and brandy (if using). Cover the saucepan and refrigerate for at least two hours (I let it refrigerate overnight).

Remove the vanilla bean. Once the mixture has thoroughly chilled, pour it into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze several hours before serving.

Try the recipe index for more ideas.r

Tags: dessert, ice cream

I’m an only child. Whatever preconceived notions you have from that fact alone… well, they’re probably true. Growing up, I was spoiled – and to an extent, I still am. It wasn’t until I hit junior high that I realized my parents were working class and didn’t have an endless supply of money. After all, they got me just about everything I wanted! As a kid, I would hand my dad a long shopping list of things I wanted for Christmas and he would buy every single thing on it. Most gifts are pretty unmemorable now, I’m sure most of them were whatever disposable pop culture garbage I was into at the time. One of the best Christmas gifts I’ve ever received, though, is an ice cream maker. Since making my own ice cream, store bought ice cream tastes like an insult to ice cream everywhere. I usually make ice cream about once a month and for the last few months, I’ve been making classic childhood favorites – including this delicious chocolate chip ice cream.

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
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2 c whole milk
pinch salt
3/4 c sugar (I usually use about 1/3 c sugar and that’s sweet enough for me)
4 egg yolks
2 C heavy cream
1 T vanilla
2 T brandy (optional, adding a little bit of alcohol to homemade ice cream helps prevent it from turning into a block of ice)
1 c chocolate chips, chopped

- Add milk, salt, and sugar to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Do not boil!

- Meanwhile, whisk together four egg yolks in a small bowl. Slowly add about a half cup of milk to the bowl and whisk until blended. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches 175 F on a thermometer and the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Stir in heavy cream, vanilla, and brandy. Pour the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for at least two hours.

- Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker churn according to manufacturer’s instructions (add the chocolate chips in the last few minutes of churning). Freeze a few hours before serving (and have fun licking off the spoon!).

Not quite what you had in mind? Check out the recipe index!

Tags: dessert, ice cream