Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Homemade happiness in every scoop! Made with rich, creamy Cloverleaf Creamery milk from the Boise Co-op.
Ingredients:
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup Cloverleaf Creamery whole milk
¾ cup sugar divided, ½ for the milk mixture - ¼ for egg mixture
1 vanilla bean sliced lengthwise and scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod
6 large egg yolks
Instructions:
Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl or basin with ice and cold water. This will be used to quickly cool the custard mixture later, preventing it from cooking further.
In a medium-sized saucepan, add 2 cups of heavy cream, 1 cup of whole milk, ¾ cup of granulated sugar, the split vanilla bean, and the seeds scraped from inside the pod. Stir the mixture gently to combine. Place the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly to ensure the sugar dissolves completely. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, watching carefully to avoid boiling.
While the cream mixture is heating, take a mixing bowl and add 5 large egg yolks along with the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed until it becomes thick and achieves a pale yellow color. This process should take about 2 minutes.
Once the cream mixture is simmering, slowly whisk about one-third of it into the egg yolk mixture. This process, known as tempering, helps prevent the eggs from curdling by gradually raising their temperature. Continue whisking until combined, ensuring a smooth texture.
Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula. The custard is ready when it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches a temperature of between 180°F and 190°F on a food thermometer.
Once the desired temperature is reached, remove the saucepan from the heat and take out the vanilla bean pod. Immediately place the saucepan in the prepared ice bath, stirring the custard frequently to help it cool quickly.
After cooling to room temperature, transfer the custard to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight if time allows. This step ensures that the custard is thoroughly chilled before churning.
When the custard is adequately chilled, pour it into your ice cream machine. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for churning. Typically, this process will take about 20 to 25 minutes, during which the custard will transform into a thick, creamy ice cream.
After churning, transfer the soft ice cream to airtight containers. Seal them tightly and place the containers in the freezer. Allow the ice cream to firm up for 3 to 4 hours, or ideally overnight, to achieve a scoopable texture.
Once the ice cream is ready, serve it in your favorite ice cream cones or bowls. You can customize your dessert with toppings like chocolate sauce, fresh fruits, sprinkles, or nuts. Enjoy your delicious homemade ice cream!
Recipe Courtesy of Munchkin Time Blog.