Tuesday, January 13, 2015
I was hesitant to
post this recipe because it did not turn out the way I wanted. In fact, I would say that it was my least
successful recipe to date. There were
quite a few ice crystals in it, which messed with the texture, and the flavor
wasn’t as rich as I would have liked (In fact, I thought the flavor got a
little diluted as I went from base to ice cream.). That being said, I brought it to a friends’
night and everyone loved it so… maybe I’m starting to suffer from being an ice
cream perfectionist?
The original
recipe, as you will see, calls for three ingredients. However, I tweaked the recipe, using a
combination of 2% milk and heavy cream – mostly because I already had those
ingredients but also partially because that combination is pretty similar to
half and half so, in theory, it shouldn’t matter. However, as
I learned in my cinnamon-basil recipe, whole milk is best to use for ice
cream. The higher fat content creates a
creamier, smoother taste and texture.
Given that there were only three ingredients in this recipe and none of
them were eggs, I should have used either straight cream or whole milk. That would have smoothed out the texture and
prevented, at least partially, the large ice crystals I was feeling.
Another problem,
at least for my highly refined palette, is that there weren’t any eggs. I’ve just read a really
cool article about the necessity of eggs in ice cream, and I learned a
lot. Apparently, eggs make ice cream
thicker, creamier, and more resistant to melting. That explains why I loved the texture of the
cinnamon-basil ice cream so much: it used eight eggs.
Finally, I’m not
confident that I had the base cold enough or the ice in the maker small
enough. It took approximately an hour to
churn the ice cream to appropriate thickness, and I had only left the base in
the fridge for five or ten minutes. I
should have kept it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and crushed the ice
more thoroughly for even thickening.
Alas, I suffered from Ice Cream Maker’s Hubris and the ice cream paid
the price.
I’m willing to try
making this version again, but I’d also like to compare it to a vanilla that
actually uses a custard base. The taste
was simple but good: it reminded me of Kroger’s Value Ice Cream. The recipe was also extremely cheap and quick
to make, and I could quite literally whip it together in 30 minutes (if I’d
gotten the base colder). The original
recipe comes from here,
and, if you read the comments, you’ll learn that it’s so simple you can
actually make it while throwing it like a football. Still, this isn’t my favorite recipe.
Ingredients (Based on the Original Recipe)
- 4 cups half and half or light cream
- 1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (I used 1; vanilla can be overpowering)
Directions
- Combine the half and half/cream, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Stir well.
- Put vanilla base in fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill.
- Once base is cold, pour into ice cream maker canister and freeze according to directions.
- Once ice cream is churned, place in freezer to set for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
As I will be having an Ice Cream Sunday event very
soon, expect an update on the vanilla. I
definitely need a good recipe in my repertoire for mixing and events.
Overview
- Base prep time: 5 minutes
- Base chill time: at least 30 minutes
- Ice cream set time: at least 4 hours, preferably 24
- Taste: Creamy but a little thin; tastes a lot like Value Ice Cream
- Difficulty level: low
- Expense level: low
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