I is for Ice Cream

My favorite desserts are cakes or cupcakes, but Peter's first choice is ice cream just about every time.  We've had some fantastic frozen treats together.  In Charlottesville, we like to get the chilled glass artist's palette at Splendora's where you can sample eight different tiny scoops of gelato; the presentation is so fun and you get to try lots of different flavors without committing to a whole serving.  I have always enjoyed going to Arch's to get a scoop of frozen yogurt with a glob of half-cooked gooey brownie batter on top.  It's one of their signature toppings and it takes fro-yo to the next level.  Arch's is a college girl's staple at UVA, especially since they offer all sorts of Wow Cow low-calorie frozen yogurts and they have a hotline to call and check on the flavors of the day.  Genius!

Beyond Charlottesville, Peter and I like to indulge in ice cream when we travel.  I've got fond memories of sharing gelato in Rome while sitting outside the Pantheon, splitting a dipped ice cream in Prague, and trying some snazzy sundaes on a boat tour of the Rhine River valley in Germany.  We also love the occasional Blizzard from Dairy Queen at Smith Mountain Lake.  Who doesn't?  One of my favorite ice creams on a vacation though was on our honeymoon in Cabo; we ordered a trio of flavors and absolutely adored the combo of mango, tequila, and Mexican raw sugar ice creams.  We came home with the resort's recipe for tequila ice cream and have since recreated it for a flashback to our best vacation ever.  I promise I'll share that recipe one day!              

Since we got married, I've started making ice creams for us to enjoy at home.  We received the Kitchenaid ice cream maker attachment as a wedding gift and I'd definitely recommend it.  It's easy to use and doesn't require any rock salt because you freeze the canister before churning your ice cream.  It also allows you to make just the right amount of ice cream.  Many of the recipes I've come across are for 1 quart and I find that's a nice size for storing and serving.  We seem to run out of ice cream just as we're getting tired of the flavor.  A quart isn't so much that it sits around in the freezer collecting freezer burn.  

One of our favorite homemade ice cream flavors is Cookies n' Cream and I'll share that recipe today.  I've tried other "quick" ice cream recipes that don't require making a custard or "low fat" versions that use skim milk or don't have cream, but I find that the whole milk and cream are required for the smooth, creamy consistency we expect and crave.  The lower fat milks (skim or 1%) are more sensitive to curdling during the cooking process and tend to be icier and more crystalized after a few days in the freezer.  Splurge on whole milk and cream because the ice cream is rich and delicious and you don't need much to feel satisfied.  Be careful when heating your custard because if the temperature rises above 170 F, you can easily end up scrambling your whole recipe and there's no going back from there.  Stir it constantly and use a thermometer if you're worried that you're going to overheat it.  Check out this website that shows a picture of how your custard should look on the back of a spoon.          

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

From Williams-Sonoma Ice Cream  

1 1/2 c. whole milk

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract)

6 egg yolks

1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. sugar

In a saucepan, combine the milk, 1 c. cream, and vanilla.  Cook over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges of the pan (about 5 minutes).  Combine the egg yolks, sugar, and remaining 1/2 c. cream in a bowl and whisk to smooth out the mixture.  The sugar should begin to dissolve.  Remove the milk mixture from the heat and gradually add about 1/2 c. of it to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs.  Pour the whole egg mixture back into the pan with the remaining milk mixture and stir to combine.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly (don't stop!) with a wooden spoon until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it. Do not let the custard boil.  Strain through a mesh sieve into a bowl and if you used a vanilla bean, discard it.  Place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and water.  Stir occasionally until cook and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it against the surface of your mixture to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate your ice cream mixture for several hours or up to a day.  

Pour the custard into your ice cream maker and let it churn until it's a soft-serve consistency.  Transfer your ice cream to a freezer-safe container.  Let it harden in the freezer for at least 3 hours before serving.  Makes 1 quart.  

Cookies n' Cream Variety

Put 15-20 Oreo cookies in a gallon-size plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin or your hands.  You want some larger chunks.  I've used the food processor before to make fine Oreo crumbs, but this usually just turns the ice cream gray when I mix it together;  it's best to have some small pieces and some large pieces of cookie.  As soon as you take the vanilla ice cream out of your ice cream maker, use a spatula to gently blend in the cookie crumbs.  Don't over stir.