Homemade Ice Cream

I made some homemade ice cream yesterday. It was yummy as always. I ventured out a little bit though and did two different things. I made chocolate (instead of plain vanilla) and I made the cooked kind with eggs (instead of just cream, milk, sugar, vanilla all thrown in the ice cream maker). I liked it but I think I like plain vanilla better which is huge coming from a chocoholic. It was the texture I found funny. It was kind of like the texture of fluff (marshmallow cream for all you west coasters). Anyway, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

3 large egg yolks, slightly beaten

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tbsp. vanilla

1. Mix egg yolks, sugar, milk, and salt in 2 quart saucepan. Cook just to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly (do not boil). Pour into chilled bowl. Refrigerate uncovered 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until room temperature. At this point, mixture can be refrigerated up to 24 hours before completing recipe if desired.

2. Stir whipping cream and vanilla into milk mixture. Pour into 1-quart ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Chocolate: Increase sugar to 1 cup. Beat 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled, into milk mixture before cooking. Decrease vanilla to 1 tsp.

Here are some more ice cream recipes:

Malted Chocolate

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
3 oz milk chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup malt powder
4 egg yolks
pinch salt
optional mix-in: malted milk balls (such as Whoppers or Maltesers), roughly chopped

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the one cup heavy cream with the malted milk powder. Place a mesh strainer on top of the bowl and set aside.

2. In a sauce pan, whisk together the 2 cups milk with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until smooth. Whisk together the egg yolks in a small bowl. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Drizzle a little bit of the milk mixture into the egg yolks, stirring to combine, then add the egg yolks in a slow stream back into the milk in the saucepan. Return the pan to the heat and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let boil or it will curdle. Remove the mixture from the heat and immediately stir in the chopped chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is melted and combined.

3. Pour the chocolate mixture through the strainer into the malted milk mixture and stir to combine. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly, at least 4 hours. Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Add the malted milk balls (if using), at the end of churning.

Variations-
Best-Ever Chocolate Ice Cream: for a plain chocolate ice cream, omit the malt powder and increase the cocoa powder to 3/4 cup. Even better if you make it with 2 cups cream and 1 cup milk.-
Malted White Chocolate Gelato: substitute white chocolate for the milk chocolate, omit the cocoa powder and increase the malt powder to 2/3 cup.-
Malted Chocolate Chip: add a handful of chocolate chips at the end of churning.- It should go without saying that this makes great milkshakes.

Chocolate Sorbet

2 1/3 cups water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup good quality cocoa powder
3 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tbsp instant espresso powder (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Place the cocoa powder and sugar in a saucepan. Slowly add the water in a stream, whisking until there are no lumps. Place the pan on the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. When it has come to a full boil, lower the heat slightly and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Remove from the heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate and espresso powder. Stir with a whisk until the chocolate is melted and combined (you can also put the mixture into a blender and blitz). Add the vanilla, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (at least 3 hours).

3. Give the mixture a good stir, then churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Store in the freezer.

Classic Vanilla

1 cup milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean
5 egg yolks
2 cup heavy cream
A few drops of vanilla extract

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the milk with the tip of a paring knife. Add the bean pod to the milk.

2. Stir together the egg yolks in a bowl and gradually add some of the warmed milk, stirring constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.

3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Rinse the vanilla bean and put it back into the custard and cream to continue steeping. Chill thoroughly, then remove the vanilla bean and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.