Favorite Ice Cream Recipes

Gourmet Vanilla Ice Cream (Base recipe)

2 Cups cream
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (or seeds scraped from a 4 inch section of vanilla bean)
1 1/2 qts (6 cups) cream

Scald two cups of cream (don’t boil) and stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved.  Add the vanilla.  Add the additional cream and chill the entire cream mixture overnight if possible.

Churn/freeze the ice cream according to your ice cream maker’s directions or use the guidelines in 10 Tips to the Best Ice Cream. Add optional ingredients at the very end of churning/freezing. See our list of optional mix-in ingredients, toppings and sauces below.



Vanilla Custard Ice Cream (Base recipe)

3 Cups milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
5 beaten egg yolks, well beaten
2 Tbsp vanilla
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half

Scald the milk over low heat, don’t boil.  Stir in the sugar and salt.  Pour 3-4 Tbsp hot milk into the beaten egg yolks until well blended and continue to add the hot milk until all is well blended.  Pour the mixture into a double boiler (over not in boiling water) until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Chill the “custard” mixture.  When cooled, combine with the vanilla, chilled shipping cream and half and half.  Churn/freeze the ice cream according to your ice cream maker’s directions or use the guidelines in 10 Tips to the Best Ice Cream. Add optional ingredients at the very end of churning/freezing. See our list of optional mix-in ingredients, toppings and sauces below.



Peach or Apricot Peach Ice Cream

Apricots and peaches are coming into season

Delicious fruit ice creams can be made with the Base Vanilla ice cream or custard recipe above and 4 lbs of ripe peaches or apricots combined with 3/4 cup sugar and 1/8 tsp salt.  The ripe peaches or apricots should be peeled, sliced and mashed (not put through blender or food processor, however). Refrigerate the fruit until chilled and the sugar is dissolved.  Then add 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups half and half and 2 cups heavy cream.  Partly churn the cream mixture.  When half- frozen, add the fruit mixture and finish freezing.

The procedure for other fruit ice cream types (strawberry, cherry, etc.) are similar.



Lloyd's Family No Fail Ice Cream

Juice of 4 Fresh lemons (an extra one if lemon's aren't real juicy.)
Juice of 4 Fresh Oranges
4 Cups of sugar
4 Cups of half and half
2 Cups of heavy cream or enough to make a total of 2 quarts liquid for a 2 quart ice cream maker.

Juice the lemons and oranges and combine with the sugar.  Refrigerate the juice/sugar mixture overnight.

Add 4 Cups (1 quart) half and half.  Pour into a 2 qt ice cream maker.  Fill to the 2 quart line with heavy cream.

Churn/Freeze ice cream mixture according to ice cream maker instructions.

If you have an automatic electric/freezer type 1 qt ice cream maker, halve the recipe.



Optional ingredient ideas (make sure you’ve chilled them)

• Chopped nuts: pecans, walnuts, peanuts, etc.
• Chocolate: dark, semi-sweet, or white; grated, chips or flakes.
• Candy: crushed nut brittle or toffee, peppermint stick; chopped Reese’s, M & M’s, etc.
• Cookies: crushed Oreos, Thin Mints, Nutter Butter, etc.

Fruit on top
Sliced strawberries, Cherries, Pineapple, kiwi, black currants, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries



Sauces

Easy Chocolate Sauce

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 Tbsp vanilla

Combine the sugar, cocoa powder, flour and salt in a medium sauce pan, and whisk in 1/2 cup of milk.  This makes a thick paste

Whisk in the remaining milk, while bringing the mixture to a boil gradually over medium heat. When the sauce boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently for 5 minutes, stirring and whisking often. Remove from heat, add vanilla, and cool.

This sauce can store up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and used either hot or cold on ice cream, cake, fruit, or even to make up a quick cup of hot chocolate.  Makes about 3 cups of sauce

Variations:



Old Fashioned Butterscotch Syrup

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in cream and vanilla immediately. Cool; store in the refrigerator in ball jar.  Mix before serving over ice cream (or cakes).

Makes about 1 1/2 cups of butterscotch sauce.



Maple

For a quick sauce, simply use 100% pure Maple Syrup as a maple topping to your vanilla ice cream. I learned this from a friend who grew up in the North East and it’s terrific!