I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
Making homemade ice cream is easy and extremely rewarding. It’s amazing how much better it is than what you buy at the grocery store and is also very impressive when you tell your family and friends you made it from scratch!
You don’t need many ingredients, but you will need an ice cream machine. After much research, I selected to invest in the Cuisinart one cream machine which runs about $60 and have proven itself to me time and time again.
When it comes to selecting ingredients, quality matters. While I choose to organic milk and cream, the ingredient that matters the most here is the vanilla extract. Most extracts from the standard grocery stores are not made with pure vanilla or quality alcohols. The only ingredients in Vanilla extract should be vanilla and an alcohol of some kind. What is should NOT contain is sugar, corn syrup, caramel color or stabilizers.
If you are interested in learning more about variations in vanilla extra I recommend checking out the The Vanilla Queens article on varieties, how its made and how to tell if its pure.
Once you have perfected the best vanilla ice cream you have ever eaten, which you will, then the variations really are endless. Simply stir in raspberry sauce, chocolate chips, candies, cookie dough, whatever you desire!
How to store ice cream
When storing homemade ice cream, small containers with a tight seal work best. Through lots of trial and error, I have discovered that pint size frozen dessert containers work best. Unfortunately, they typically only come in sleeves of about 25. But they really do work the best! I get them on Amazon, but they are sold at many other locations as well, including many restaurant supply stores.
Custard Style Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups organic whole milk
- 2 cups organic heavy cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- pinch salt
- 2 whole vanilla beans halved and seeds scraped
- 5 large organic egg yolks
- 1½ teaspoons good quality pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, whisk together the milk, cream, half of the sugar, salt and the scraped vanilla bean (including the pod). Bring the mixture just to a boil.
- While the milk/cream mixture is heating, combine the yolks and remaining sugar in a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer on low speed or whisk, beat until mixture is pale and thick.
- Once the milk/cream mixture has come to a slight boil, whisk about ¹∕³ of the hot mixture into the yolk/sugar mixture. Add another ¹∕³ of the mixture, then return the combined mixture to the saucepan.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture constantly over low heat until it thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon. This mixture must NOT boil or the yolks will overcook – the process should only take a few minutes.
- Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (discard the vanilla pod) and bring to room temperature. When at room temperature, Stir in the vanilla. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Whisk mixture to combine mixture, and turn unit on, and slowly pour the mixture into the mixing bowl of the ice cream maker. Mix until thickened, about 20-30 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture.
- If adding chocolate chips or other ingredients, mix it for the last 30 seconds.
- Transfer to an airtight container and place in freezer for at least 3 hours.
