Ice cream is one of the most famous deserts in the world. No matter how old you are, you can't say no to this sweet treat. Fortunately, it is now possible to make your own ice cream and experiment with any flavor that you want.
Making homemade ice cream is not as complicated as it sounds and once you know the basics, you can create almost any flavor imaginable. Here's how you can make your own ice cream.
Types of ice cream
There are two types of homemade ice cream, the custard-style, also called the French style and the Philadelphia-style, also called the American style. The most common ice cream, the ones that we buy in supermarkets and convenience stores, is the Philadelphia-style ice cream.
What you will need are 8 egg yolks, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup granulated sugar, pinch of salt, 3 cups half-and-half and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. For the equipment, you will need bowls, a saucepan, measuring spoons and cups, heatproof spatula, whisk, fine-mesh sieve, freezer container and ice cream maker.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together half of the sugar and 8 egg yolks, once you are done set it aside. In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together half-and-half, salt, cream and the remaining sugar.
Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stir it while it is heating until it comes to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium.
Add 1/2 cup of the cream mixture to the egg mixture. Whisk the mixtures constantly, do this to prevent the eggs from cooking. With the other 1/2 cup of cream mixture, do the exact same thing.
Slowly stir the mixture in the saucepan and do it constantly. Use your heatproof spatula when stirring. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pan, cook it and stir it until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the heatproof spatula.
Once you are done, remove the mixture from the heat. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the mixture into a clean bowl. If you wish, add vanilla extract. Set it in an ice bath and stir the base of the mixture until the mixture is in room temperature.
Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap once you are finished. Refrigerate the mixture for 4 hours or you can do it overnight before you churn it. Ice creams need to be churned to prevent ice crystals from forming.
What is churning?
Churning also helps produce the smooth texture that makes it taste rich. It is usually churned using a machine because more air is whipped into the ice cream mixture. For ice cream machines, follow the manufacturer's instructions for churning.
Once the mixture has thickened remove it from the ice cream machine and transfer it to a container that is safe to place inside a freezer.
You can do it by hand if you do not have a machine. Just pour the ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe container and place it in the freezer.
After an hour, stir the mixture vigorously in order to break up any ice crystals. Repeat the stirring every 30 minutes for the next 3 hours or until the ice cream is frozen. Cover the ice cream if you won't eat it immediately.
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