Rich Vanilla Ice Cream
This vanilla ice cream recipe makes something that's as tasty as the old-fashioned homemade classic. And it's easily adaptable to be obscenely rich or not. And you can make it without an ice cream maker. Here's how.
Equipment
- Ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, plus 2 to 3 large yolks
- 4 cups milk or light cream, or a combination
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the eggs and yolks (however many you choose) in a bowl and beat until smooth.
- Heat the milk or cream and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat to just below boiling.
- Gradually whisk or stir 1/2 cup of the hot liquid into the beaten eggs, then stir the mixture back into the saucepan. Place over medium-low heat or in the top of a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until the mixture thickens. (Be sure to stir in the same direction.) Do not let the custard boil or it will curdle. When the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove from the heat, strain into bowl or pitcher and cool. Then cover and refrigerate until chilled through.
- Gently stir in the vanilla and process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the instructions. This recipe makes ample vanilla ice cream for most machines, so you may need to churn it in batches. Scrape the creamy goodness into a resealable container and freeze for several hours or up to overnight to achieve a proper ice cream consistency. Don't worry, your restraint will be rewarded.
Notes
Flavor Variation
You can fancy up this old-fashioned homemade vanilla ice cream recipe however you deem fit, adding pistachios, crystallized ginger, an extra dose of vanilla, caramel swirls, or countless other flavorings. Simply stir them in just before churning. Here, a couple basic suggestions, just to get your creativity started… Rich Strawberry Ice Cream Add 1 cup mashed fresh strawberries or 1/2 cup strawberry sauce and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions. Rich Chocolate Ice Cream Melt 4 to 5 squares unsweetened chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Alternatively, microwave at medium in short 30 second bursts (about 2 minutes in all) until melted. Stir a little of the Rich Vanilla Ice Cream mixture into the chocolate, then stir the chocolate back into the custard. If you wish, add 3 extra squares of chocolate, grated by hand or in a blender. Churn according to the manufacturer’s directions.Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 49mg | Sugar: 25g