Vanilla Ice Cream

IIce cream. How does something so diverse seem so complicated? Well, I'm letting the secret out. It isn't complicated at all!

Ice cream is custard + flavor. You start with a custard base of egg yolks and cream/milk & add flavor.

Equipment you will need:

Whisk, preferably an electric whisk (I've got my handy dandy Kitchen Aid mixer with whisk attachment)

Saucepan

Stove

Measuring cup

Measuring spoons

Several bowls (I have a small bowl for my premeasured sugar, egg white bowl, egg yolk bowl, egg shell bowl, and a bowl for my final mixture. You'll also need a larger mixing bowl).

Ice cream maker

Freezer safe storage container

Ingredients:

8 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups half and half

2 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 tsp salt

4 tsp vanilla extract (or one vanilla bean, scraped)

Put a saucepan on medium-low heat with the half and half. Stir frequently until mixture begins to steam. This is called "scalding". It was a step used to kill bacteria back before milk was pasteurized. We need it to make our custard base (and if you cook a lot, scalding helps impart flavor into the liquid for cooking). When the milk begins to steam, remove from heat.

In your large mixing bowl whisk your egg yolks and sugar. Now slowly whisk in the half and half, a slow and steady stream, as you don't want to cook curdle the yolks and have lumps, we are making a custard, which is smooth.

Once your half and half is whisked into your yolk mixture, put it back in the saucepan on medium low and scald again. In your final storage bowl combine your cream and custard. Then whisk in your extract & salt. Cool mixture (covered) in the fridge for at least 8 hours before running it through your ice cream maker.

You can add crumbled Oreo cookies (when the ice cream is nearly done turning) to make cookies and cream, scald the half and half with orange peel for a bit of zing. Just remember: custard base + flavor = ice cream. Easy as pie, well... ice cream. Another tip is that the fat content of your milk determines the richness of your ice cream. The more fat, the richer the flavor. You can try heavy whipping cream or even 2% milk to find how rich you like it.

I bought my whipping cream on clearance (for expiration) half off so I needed to do something with it. I made vanilla scones, Yum! That recipe can be found here or by searching #couponwhorerecipes on instagram.

I served our ice cream with an angel food cake (thanks Alton Brown) made using the separated egg whites (you could even attempt marshmallows!). Click here for suggestions to utilize your egg whites.