I have long promised to write up my Ultimate Ice Cream Recipe and all the myriad variations. The ice cream recipes here can be made in an ice cream machine (recommended if you make a lot of ice cream, they're pretty great!) or in a food processor.
I've tried all sorts of recipes, and the base here I have found to be the most reliable, giving an ultra-smooth creamy texture with no grit, no eggy aftertaste, no extra straining. The key is to use a few egg yolks as an emulsifier and add the sugar to the cream and milk. I have found all the recipes that start with a crème anglaise base (whisking the yolk and sugar) are a lot more work, require extra straining, and don't come out with the best super smooth texture. (Maybe I'm just really bad at making crème anglaise, but after so many tries I think it just doesn't freeze as well).
The base is incredibly versatile, and can be used for vanilla ice cream, chocolate chip ice cream, mint chocolate chip ice cream, strawberry ice cream, matcha green tea ice cream, coffee (espresso) ice cream, and even chocolate ice cream (if you're clever. See below!)
Basic Vanilla Ice Cream Base
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
7/8 cup (175 g) granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Make the Base:
Combine cream, milk, and sugar in a saucepan, and heat over medium heat until it just begins to boil while stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks with the salt in a heatproof bowl (a bit of salt helps the egg yolks work as an emulsifier). When the cream mixture is just about to boil, add 1 cup of the cream mixture to the eggs while whisking to temper the eggs. Add the egg mixture back to the hot cream in the saucepan, and whisk over low heat until the mixture reaches 170-180℉ (about 30 seconds to 1 minute). Turn off heat and whisk in the vanilla.
Chill the Base:
Pour the ice cream base into a bowl that is immersed in a larger bowl, surrounded by crushed ice. This helps chill the base as rapidly as possible. When the crushed ice is all melted, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Make the Ice Cream:
"Following your manufacturer's instructions", put the base in the ice cream maker. Churn for 25-30 minutes. When it is done put into a chilled ice cream container. Cover with parchment paper to help prevent freezer burn.
Let it set:
Let the churned ice cream set in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight. Enjoy!
Coffee (Espresso) Ice Cream
Same as above, but add 1-2 shots of espresso (depending on how strong you want it) and reduce vanilla to 1 tsp.
Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream
Add 15-20g of matcha with cream, milk and sugar (depending on desired strength). Strain out the leaves before adding the cream mixture to the eggs. Reduce vanilla to 1 tsp.
Strawberry Ice Cream
Cook 9 ounces of chopped fresh strawberries with 75g sugar. After 10-15 minutes this will reduce to about 1/2 cup of jam. Add this to the cream, milk, and sugar, reducing to 100g sugar (175g total), 3/4 cup milk, and only 1 tsp vanilla.
Mint Ice Cream
Same as above, using 1 tsp vanilla and 2 tsp peppermint extract.
Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Ingredients:
Vanilla Ice Cream Base
100g 60-70% cacao dark chocolate
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave until completely melted. With an offset spatula, spread it out thin on parchment paper on a baking sheet, about 10" x 14". Put it in the freezer at least 15 minutes. Take out of the freezer and chop into small chips/flakes. It doesn't matter if they're all different sizes, this makes it extra delicious! Put the chips into a covered container back in the freezer until you're ready to use them.
When churning the ice cream base, after about 17-20 minutes carefully spoon the chocolate chips into the ice cream machine.
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Ingredients:
Mint Ice Cream base
Chocolate Chips
See above.
Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream, split into 1.5 cups and 0.5 cups
1 cup whole milk
7/8 cup (175 g) granulated sugar
2 Tbs cocoa powder
115 g dark chocolate
3 egg yolks
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
This is a tricky one! Chocolate ice cream is usually bad, because it's made the wrong way. If you try to melt chocolate directly into the hot ice cream base (as lots of recipes say!) it doesn't melt fully and will form tiny cocoa nibs upon freezing. This gives an unpleasant grainy texture. The key is to melt the chocolate into some cream at first to form a ganache. And this middle step will create super smooth ice cream after freezing and churning!
Put dark chocolate and 0.5 cup cream into a bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, and stir with a whisk. Microwave again for 15-30 seconds (depending on your microwave) and whisk again. If the chocolate isn't fully melted give it another blast, but don't go too far. You should be able to whisk this together into a smooth ganache. Put this aside on the counter to cool.
Make the Base:
Combine 1.5 cups cream, milk, sugar, and cocoa powder in a saucepan, and heat over medium heat until it just begins to boil while stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks with the salt in a heatproof bowl. When the cream mixture is just about to boil, strain into a spare bowl to remove any cocoa powder lumps. Pour about 1 cup of the cream mixture into the eggs while whisking to temper the eggs. Add the egg mixture and the strained cream base back to the saucepan, and whisk over low heat until the mixture reaches 170-180℉ (about 2 to 3 minutes). Turn off heat and whisk in the vanilla and the ganache.
The next steps are the same as the vanilla base.
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Ingredients:
Chocolate ice cream base
Chocolate chips
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