You can whip up creamy, custardy homemade ice cream with just three pantry staples and one simple technique. Once you master the process, the sky is the limit for how many flavors of ice cream you can dream up.
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The Story
One day in a time long, long, ago I was scrounging around my parents' freezer and came across a tub of generic brand chocolate ice cream. Score! But then I read the ingredient list (occupational hazard) to find out there was absolutely no cream, and no actual chocolate. However, one ingredient appeared not once, not twice, but four times, and you probably won't be surprised that it was high-fructose corn syrup. I screamed, and not so much for the ice cream, but in its direction.
On Corn Syrup, etc.
Corn syrup is produced through acidic chemical processes that convert corn starch into a sugar syrup. High fructose corn syrup is corn syrup that undergoes further chemical processing, and also a concentration process to raise its sweetness level. Both are a common ingredient in commercial ice creams and baked goods. But the bottom line is that all sweeteners, even granulated sugar, are highly processed (for example, white sugar is filtered with bone char to create its white color). To avoid all processed sweeteners you'll need to stick with raw honey, as it undergoes the least human intervention.
The high and low of emotions over what I dubbed "chocolate-flavored frozen corn syrup" reminded me of when my family churned homemade ice cream by hand in the big wooden barrel with that funny rock salt. My parents still have the now seemingly useless contraption.
How to Make Homemade Ice Cream
In modern times, it's easy to craft your own ice cream without additives, emulsifiers, and endless manual labor. Plenty of companies sell moderately priced, easy to use electric ice cream makers (mine was a gift, all the better for the bank account). While there are plenty of machine-free ways to make ice cream, you can't beat the smooth texture of mechanical churning.
And for traditional custard ice cream, you only need three ingredients:
- Heavy cream or whole milk, or a combination
- Sugar or your preferred sweetener
- Egg yolks
For a richer ice cream, use a full measure of heavy cream. But if all you have on hand is milk, don't let that stop you. An additional egg yolk or two will add more richness and more of that beautiful custard color.
The Method
The basic mixture for ice cream is a versatile sauce that takes about ten minutes to cook. Honestly, the sauce is simply a less thick crème anglaise, which is the home base for all manner of custard desserts including crème brûlée, flan, and even bread pudding. The only technique required is the tempering method, which is a way of easing hot liquid into cold eggs to prevent the egg proteins from curdling (scrambling).
The Steps
- Separate the eggs to get as many yolks as you need and place them into a heat-proof bowl (save the egg whites for baking, French macarons, perhaps). Stir half of the sugar gently into the yolks.
- Bring the heavy cream and/or milk and half of the sugar just to a boil in a pot.
- The immediately and slowly stir about half of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the pot to combine it all.
- Cook the sauce over medium-low heat until it thickens slightly, and thinly coats the back of a spoon.
On a scientific level, you're aiming for a peak temperature between 170° F and 180° F (76° and 82° Celsius). This is the temperature at which harmful bacteria like salmonella die but the magic moment when the egg proteins are still suspended nicely in the cream. Without a thermometer, keep the heat low and look for that coats the back of a spoon moment. If you can draw a line down the middle and it holds shape, remove it from the heat.
Adding Flavor
To quote my former pastry instructor from the Culinary Institute, Chef Spiess, "If you want strawberry ice cream, just add strawberries. If you want rum ice cream, add rum. Just not so much you get drunk." And that's all, friends.
Once you prepare the ice cream base and chill it, you can customize the flavor any way you like. As for the infamous how much question, that is a matter of personal taste and preference. Add a bit and taste the sauce. Flavor is less pronounced at cold temperatures, so any added extracts should taste slightly strong at room temperature (just ask my brother-in-law who adds copious amounts of bourbon to his ice cream which doesn't in any way burn on the way down).
A good starting point is 2 tablespoons of any extract or booze and/or a half of a cup of fruit purée (or mash) for every quart of ice cream.Â
Chef's Tips
- Add extracts and any smooth-consistency flavorings such as fruit purée once the sauce is chilled but prior to churning.
- For vanilla bean ice cream, use this technique for crème anglaise to steep the milk and cream with a split vanilla bean pod.
- If using an alcoholic flavoring, add it in the last minute of churning, as it could prevent the ice cream from fully freezing if you add it at the beginning.
- If adding chopped chocolate, nuts, pieces of fruit, or crushed cookies, add them once the ice cream is soft-serve consistency. Simply churn a few moments more to incorporate the toppings evenly.
📖 Recipe
Custard Ice Cream
A classic, simple custard ice cream recipe that can be flavored any way you like.Â
- Total Time: 35 minutes (20 for churning)
- Yield: 1 quart 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, whole milk or combination
- 5 egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar, coconut sugar or maple syrup or ¼ cup raw honey
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Custard Ice Cream Base
- Combine the milk, cream and half of the sugar in a pot and bring it just to a boil.
- Stir the egg yolks and remaining half of the sugar with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth in a medium, heatproof bowl.
- Once the cream simmers, slowly stir half of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture into the pot with the remaining cream.
- Stirring constantly, cook the sauce over medium-low heat just until it begins to thicken, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot constantly. Cook until it thickens slightly and thinly coats the back of your spoon, or reaches around 175° F. Do not let the custard simmer or boil.Â
- Strain the sauce into a heatproof bowl to remove any cooked egg bits (if you think any curdled), and chill the sauce until it's very cold, at least four hours, or overnight.Â
Adding Flavorings & Churning
- Before churning, add any extracts or fruit purée of your liking.Â
- Churn the ice cream according to your ice cream maker’s instructions, it usually takes around 15 to 20 minutes. Universally, ice cream is ready for removal when it is slightly thicker than soft serve.
- If adding chocolate chips, candy bits, caramel sauce or liqueur, add them at the end and only churn a few moments more to combine.Â
- Â Freeze for an hour or two prior to serving, or enjoy immediately.Â
Notes
For chocolate ice cream... whisk in ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder with the milk and sugar mixture before bringing it to a boil. Or pour the hot sauce over three to four ounces of chopped semisweet or dark chopped chocolate, let it sit for a few minutes so the chocolate softens, then whisk until smooth and combined. Chill and churn.Â
For vanilla bean ice cream... add a split vanilla bean (sliced vertically down the center to expose the seeds) to the cream and sugar. Then once it comes to a boil turn off the heat and let it all steep for ten minutes or up to 30 minutes. Then bring it back to a gentle simmer and temper it into the egg yolk mixture.Â
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Tempering
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Gluten Free
Keywords: homemade ice cream, custard ice cream, ice cream ingredients, vanilla ice cream, vanilla sauce, ice cream recipe
Sharon
Best custard ice cream recipe I've found. Loved it. Thank you.
Chef Christina
So glad you liked it, Sharon. 🙂