INGREDIENTS
- Two quarts whole milk (real milk not factory milk,
goat milk is best with Nigerian Dwarf goat milk being supreme) - Two cups sugar (organic cane dehydrated sugar is what I use, have only been able to find it at Costco)
- One dozen eggs (real eggs, again not factory eggs)
- 2.5 Tablespoons of pure vanilla (again, pure, not extract)
DIRECTIONS
In the top of a double boiler/water bath pan:
- Blend eggs and sugar together until eggs well mixed
- Add milk
- Heat slowly to 180-200 degrees stirring frequently (this should take about half an hour, the slow heating is what blends the flavors so wonderfully and makes the best custard, if it “curdles” [it doesn’t but it might look like it], just blend it when it has cooled. At this point, it should have thickened though it may not depending on your eggs and/or length of cooking time. Remove it from the heat to cool. After it has cooled to 100 degrees or below, add the vanilla and stir/blend well and refrigerate overnight. You can set it in a sink/pan of cold/ice water to accelerate the cooling.
NOTE: You want it completely cooled before putting it in the ice cream freezer, especially so if you use a freezer bowl versus ice and rock salt
– When ready to freeze it, put the custard base into the ice cream freezer and finish according to the manufacturer’s directions.
NOTES:
If you do not use a double boiler, you MUST stir constantly to keep the milk from scorching.
For those concerned about raw milk or backyard hen eggs, because this is a completely cooked custard, it is no longer raw and totally safe since the custard base is cooked past pasteurization temperature.
Usually, I cook mine to 200 degrees because it seems to add extra richness but it is not necessary. After a few batches, you will learn what works best for you.
If you want chocolate, add cocoa powder (1 to 2 cups) to the sugar and mix it well before adding the eggs. What type of cocoa powder you use and how much determines the flavor of the ice cream. You can also use baking chocolate; if using unsweetened, add an extra half cup of sugar. Dutched cocoa is so intense that the custard will taste much like chocolate mousse (read the next note). Always write down what you have done so you can recreate the one you like best. When using baking chocolate, the slow heating will melt the chocolate so it is optional if you want to grate it or break it before adding. Do be aware that each type of cocoa will change the flavor!
If you are making chocolate, do not taste it until after it is ice cream or you will eat more chocolate pudding than ice cream!
The original vanilla recipe I used called for 16 egg yolks. It was richer than making it with whole eggs but I had no use for that many egg whites (I make a lot of ice cream) so I started using a dozen eggs instead. If you wanted to make a vanilla ice cream for baked Alaska, definitely use the 16 yolks as you can use the whites for the meringue.
I have played with pumpkin. The quantity of spices in that will be dependent on your individual taste. In an ideal world, it will taste like your favorite pumpkin pie recipe.
Fruit ice creams are good but I found they have to be 50 percent fruit so it would be just as well to make sherbet instead or use the fruit over the ice cream rather than in it. I read that freeze-dried strawberries make a good ice cream but I just decided to use strawberry topping instead.
For the double boiler, I made a wonderful find at Goodwill – a stainless steel mixing bowl that has the “spacer” on the bottom that holds the bowl bottom off the surface of the pan. I use the double boiler method so I don’t have to stir constantly to keep the milk from scorching (that causes an unpleasant aftertaste to the ice cream). With the double boiler/hot water bath method, you can stir frequently but don’t need to constantly. If you have a KitchenAid mixer, that stainless steel bowl is perfect if you have a pan large enough for it to fit into; on mine the handle makes it too wide to fit in the pan I prefer to use which is why the Goodwill mixing bowl, sans handle, was such a wonderful find.
Please be aware that you can keep the custard base in the refrigerator for two or three days because it is cooked so you can make it ahead for an event and then freeze the ice cream while your guests are there and have fresh soft-serve ice cream which is a wonderful treat.
I have read questions from folks on forums saying their ice cream doesn’t “thicken” when they cook the custard and seem frantic about it like there is something really wrong. I always wonder why that is important for it to be thick if it has been properly cooked since it is FROZEN to eat and the flavor is what matters.
Check back later as I occasionally add comments to this page.
VanEden Goats 