Homemade Ice Cream

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In July, I posted my Bing Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream recipe which included my base recipe for homemade ice cream.  The base recipe is so good, though, that I thought it should have it's own post.  So if you haven't tried it yet, you gotta give it a whirl.

What I love about this recipe is that you can end up with different consistencies of ice cream, just by choosing a different way of incorporating milk or cream to the custard before freezing.  So, with this recipe you can make your choice of ice milk, custard-style ice cream, or "slow churned" ice cream.

Oh, and if you are looking for a good ice cream maker, after much research, this is the one we settled on:



Homemade Ice Cream

• 1-1/2 C milk, preferably raw, whole milk from pastured cows
• 4 egg yolks from pastured hens
• 1-1/2 C cream or milk, preferably raw from pastured cows
• 1/4 C Grade B maple syrup
• pinch sea salt
• 1 T good quality vanilla extract

1. In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-yellow in color.
2. Pour the milk into a saucepan and scald it (bring slowly up to boiling point). 
3. By spoonfuls, gradually add the hot milk to the egg yolks, stirring constantly. 
4. Pour the hot milk/egg yolk mixture into saucepan.  Gently heat over low while stirring constantly until the custard thickens.  When you can see a film form over the back of your spoon it's time to remove the saucepan from the heat.  (DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.  Maximum temp is about 165 degrees.)  This should take around 10-15 minutes.  So when I say low heat, I mean low heat.
5. Cool. 
6. Add maple syrup, sea salt, vanilla extract.  Stir to combine.  
7. Refrigerate until chilled.  (About 4 hours.)

 Depending on the finished product you like best, you can do 1 of 3 things:

1. Ice milk:  Add remaining milk to the cooled custard.  Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker, following manufacturer's instructions on adding in any fruit, chocolate pieces, or nuts.
2. Thick, custard-like ice cream:   Add remaining cream to the cooled custard.  Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker, following manufacturer's instructions on adding in any fruit, chocolate pieces, or nuts.
3. Lighter-fluffier"slow-churned" ice cream:  Whip the cream until it is like whipped cream.  Gently fold it into the cooled custard.  Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker, following manufacturer's instructions on adding in any fruit, chocolate pieces, or nuts.  (This is my favorite!)