Think of this Vanilla Custard Ice Cream recipe as the golden gateway to an infinitely customizable icecreamadventure. Rich with egg yolks,cream, and sugar and delicately flavored with vanillabean, this offers the simple yet perfect scoop oficecream.
Vanilla Custard Ice Cream
Print Recipe
Makes about 1 quart
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups (320 grams) heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup (240 grams) whole milk
- ⅔ cup (134 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 (7½-inch) vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) egg yolks (4 to 5 large egg yolks)
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, whisk together cream, milk, ⅓ cup (67 grams) sugar, vanilla bean and reserved seeds, and salt; cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until steaming. (Do not boil.) Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 45 minutes.
Wring out vanilla bean, extracting as much liquid as possible; discard vanilla bean. Heat cream mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until steaming. (Do not boil.)
In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks and remaining ⅓ cup (67 grams) sugar. Gradually add half of warm cream mixture to egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Add egg yolk mixture to remaining cream mixture in pan, whisking constantly. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until an instant-read thermometer registers 178°F (81°C) to 180°F (82°C). (Mixture will lightly coat the back of a metal spoon and hold a trail when a finger is run through.) Remove from heat; pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium heatproof metal bowl set over an ice water bath. Whisk until cream mixture is room temperature (70°F/21°C); cover and refrigerate overnight. (See Notes.)
Place mixture in bowl in an ice water bath until an instant-read thermometer registers 35°F (1.6°C) to 37°F (2.7°C). Whisk chilled ice cream base, and pour into ice cream maker. Churn according to manufacturer’s instructions until thickened to the consistency of soft serve. (See Notes). Spoon into a chilled, airtight, freezer-safe container, and cover with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto surface of ice cream; freeze until solid, about 4 hours or overnight.
Notes
Notes: You can also chill mixture to 35°F (1.6°C) to 37°F (2.7°C) immediately and churn the same day.
Churning times may vary depending on the model of ice cream maker. When freshly churning, the base may not look completely smooth, but it will have a very silky, velvety texture and will freeze beautifully.
PRO TIP: From the parts of your ice cream maker to your storage container, it’s important to keep your tools properly chilled when making and packing your ice cream.
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Recipe Redux
A few classics and a number of twists on theVanillaCustardIceCreamformula
STRAWBERRY: Skipvanillabean in theicecreambase. Increase kosher salt to ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams); make base as directed. Trim and chop 12 ounces (340 grams) fresh strawberries (about 2¼ cups). In a medium saucepan, combine chopped strawberries and 6 tablespoons (72 grams) granulated sugar. Let stand for 30 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring frequently and gently mashing berries, until mixture is deep red and the thickness of honey, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a clean bowl, and refrigerate until completely cool before whisking into chilledicecreambase. Churn as directed.
CHOCOLATE:Skipvanillabean in theicecreambase; add ¼ cup (21 grams) sifted Dutch process cocoa powder tocreammixture and increase kosher salt to ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) before warming in step 1. Cook as directed. Whisk 2 ounces (57 grams) melted 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate (about ⅓ cup) into warmcreammixture. Whisk in ¾ teaspoon (3 grams)vanillaextract. Strain into a medium heatproof metal bowl. Chill and churn as directed.
COOKIES &CREAM:MakeVanillaCustardIceCreamas directed. Add ¾ cup (75 grams) to 1 cup (100 grams) roughly crushedcream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies during final 2 minutes of churning.
MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP: Skipvanillabean in theicecreambase; cook and cool as directed. When base is completely chilled, whisk in ½ teaspoon (2 grams) peppermint extract and ¼ to ½ teaspoon (1 to 2 grams)vanillaextract. Whisk in green gel food coloring (we used Wilton Kelly GreenIcingColor) until desired shade is reached. In the top of a double boiler, combine 2 ounces (57 grams) finely chopped 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate (about ⅓ cup) and 2 teaspoons (10 grams) refined coconut oil; cook over simmering water, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Spread chocolate mixture to 1/16-to ⅛-inch thickness on a small parchment paper-lined baking sheet; freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Using parchment, crush chocolate into pieces of desired size; add toicecreamduring final 2 minutes of churning.
LEMON WITH SPECULAAS COOKIE RIPPLE:Skipvanillabean in theicecreambase, and add 3 tablespoons (13 grams) packed lemon zest instead. Heat as directed; cover and let stand for 15 minutes or until desired flavor is reached. Straincreammixture; make and coolicecreambase as directed. When base is fully chilled, add up to 3 tablespoons (45 grams) fresh lemon juice for a tartericecream, if desired. This lemonicecreamis great paired with 1 cup (80 grams) crushed speculaas cookies, added during final 2 minutes of churning.
RUM RAISIN:In a small jar or airtight container, combine ⅔ cup (110 grams) assorted raisins and ½ cup (120 grams) dark rum. Let stand at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours, shaking container halfway through so raisins are evenly soaked. Drain thoroughly, reserving rum. Once base is completely chilled, add up to 3 tablespoons (45 grams) rum to taste. (Alcohol lowers the freezing point of a liquid, so adding more than the recommended amount can impact how youricecreamsets up). Churn as directed, adding drained raisins during final 2 minutes of churning.
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Vanilla Custard Ice Cream Recipe
The Vanilla Custard Ice Cream recipe is a versatile and customizable dessert that offers a rich and creamy texture with a delicate vanilla flavor. It requires a few key ingredients, including heavy whipping cream, whole milk, granulated sugar, vanilla bean, kosher salt, and egg yolks. Here are the steps to make the ice cream:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cream, milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, split and scraped vanilla bean, and salt. Cook the mixture over medium heat until it is steaming, but not boiling. Remove from heat, cover, and let it stand for 45 minutes.
- Remove the vanilla bean and heat the cream mixture again until steaming.
- In a separate medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar. Gradually add half of the warm cream mixture to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Then, add the egg yolk mixture back to the remaining cream mixture in the pan, whisking constantly.
- Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it reaches a temperature of 178°F (81°C) to 180°F (82°C). The mixture should lightly coat the back of a metal spoon and hold a trail when a finger is run through it.
- Remove the mixture from heat and pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium heatproof metal bowl set over an ice water bath. Whisk until the cream mixture reaches room temperature (70°F/21°C).
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture overnight.
- Place the chilled mixture in an ice water bath until it reaches a temperature of 35°F (1.6°C) to 37°F (2.7°C).
- Whisk the chilled ice cream base and pour it into an ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it thickens to the consistency of soft serve.
- Spoon the churned ice cream into a chilled, airtight, freezer-safe container. Cover the surface of the ice cream with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface. Freeze the ice cream until it becomes solid, which usually takes about 4 hours or overnight.
Variations of Vanilla Custard Ice Cream
The Vanilla Custard Ice Cream recipe can be customized with different flavors and mix-ins. Here are a few variations mentioned in the article:
- Strawberry: Skip the vanilla bean and increase the kosher salt to 1/2 teaspoon. Make the base as directed, and then combine chopped strawberries and granulated sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook the mixture until it thickens, then refrigerate it before whisking it into the chilled ice cream base. Churn as directed.
- Chocolate: Skip the vanilla bean and add sifted Dutch process cocoa powder and increased kosher salt to the cream mixture. Whisk melted bittersweet chocolate and vanilla extract into the warm cream mixture. Strain the mixture into a metal bowl, chill, and churn as directed.
- Cookies & Cream: Make the Vanilla Custard Ice Cream base as directed, and then add crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies during the final 2 minutes of churning.
- Mint Chocolate Chip: Skip the vanilla bean and add peppermint extract and vanilla extract to the chilled ice cream base. Whisk in green gel food coloring for the desired shade. Combine finely chopped bittersweet chocolate and refined coconut oil, freeze, crush, and add it to the ice cream during the final 2 minutes of churning.
- Lemon with Speculaas Cookie Ripple: Skip the vanilla bean and add packed lemon zest to the cream mixture. Strain the mixture, make and cool the ice cream base, and then add fresh lemon juice if desired. Add crushed speculaas cookies during the final 2 minutes of churning.
- Rum Raisin: Soak assorted raisins in dark rum, drain, and add the rum to the completely chilled ice cream base. Churn as directed, adding the drained raisins during the final 2 minutes.
These variations allow you to experiment with different flavors and textures to create your own unique ice cream creations.
I hope this information helps you in understanding the concepts used in the Vanilla Custard Ice Cream recipe. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!
