desserts

Vanilla Ice Cream

A classic, rich vanilla ice cream made with an egg custard base for extra creaminess. Six egg yolks, plenty of sugar, and a blend of milk, half-and-half, and heavy cream create a smooth, velvety texture that churns into an old-fashioned favorite. Perfect for summertime cones, holiday pies, or anytime you want a cold, comforting dessert straight from your own ice cream freezer.

Servings: About 4 quarts ice cream
Total Time: 220 min
Pan: 4-quart ice-cream freezer canister

Ingredients

Custard Base
  • 6 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream Mixture
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 4 cups whipping (heavy) cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
Vanilla Ice Cream

Instructions

  1. In a 2-quart saucepan, stir together 6 large egg yolks (slightly beaten), 1 3/4 cups sugar, 3 cups milk, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well mixed.
  2. Cook the egg yolk, sugar, milk, and salt mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it just reaches the point of boiling and begins to thicken; do not let it come to a full rolling boil.
  3. Pour the hot milk mixture into a chilled bowl to help it cool more quickly.
  4. Refrigerate the milk mixture uncovered for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until it reaches room temperature or cooler. At this point, you may cover and refrigerate the custard base for up to 24 hours before finishing the recipe.
  5. When ready to churn, stir 2 cups half-and-half, 4 cups whipping (heavy) cream, and 1 tablespoon vanilla into the chilled milk mixture until evenly combined.
  6. Pour the combined custard, half-and-half, cream, and vanilla mixture into a 4-quart ice-cream freezer canister, following the manufacturer’s fill line and directions.
  7. Freeze the vanilla ice cream according to the manufacturer’s directions until thick and softly frozen, then transfer to containers and allow it to firm up in the freezer if a harder scoopable texture is desired.

Notes

  • The 6 large egg yolks create a custard-style ice cream; without eggs, the mixture becomes more like ice milk.
  • Too little sugar can make the ice cream freeze very hard, while too much sugar can prevent it from setting properly.
  • Chilling the custard base thoroughly before churning helps create a smoother texture and shorter churn time.
  • For a stronger vanilla flavor, you can add an extra 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla or use part vanilla bean paste.

Tags

ice cream vanilla custard frozen desserts summer holiday