Ice Cream Sundaes with Homemade Philadelphia-Style Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

It's a great feeling to have people over and be able to offer them homemade everything. You watch as your guests' jaws drop open when they request something like ketchup and you can say, "No problem, I just whipped up a batch last night."

My mom is the perfect example of this. Her pantry and fridge are chock full of homemade goodness. It's practically an obsession. If she needs a loaf of bread, she makes the absurd decision to start a loaf right then because that's less work than running to the store. Since when is homemade bread less work than, well, pretty much anything?

If my mom needs mayonnaise, she makes her own, again, to avoid going to the grocery store. Ok, and also because she's scared of storebought mayo for health reasons. She makes her own jam, too, and usually from fruits in her backyard. During fig season last year, she had quite the field day of canning. Doing all this at home is certainly not the faster, more convenient method, but to my mom, it's a no-brainer.

If my mom needs vanilla ice cream for hot fudge sundaes (and that need arises frequently!), she might just take a David Lebovitz recipe and do it herself. It's not that hard to do and it tastes a million times better than anything you can buy at the market. And it goes without saying, the hot fudge will be homemade, too. In fact, the only things that aren't homemade in that sundae are the sprinkles, although I wouldn't put it past her to figure out how to make sprinkles next.


I'm not a homemade-ist to the same extreme as my mom, but I get where she's coming from, and I feel that same need every once in awhile to opt out of the grocery store and do it the old-fashioned way. And when it comes to hot fudge sundaes, sprinkles really are the only forgivable storebought item.

This vanilla ice cream recipe is ridiculously easy because it's Philadelphia-style, meaning it does not contain eggs like the more challenging and time-intensive custard or French method. If you can master this vanilla recipe, and I promise you you can, then you pretty much have a base for a million other flavors. Add chocolate chips in the last few minutes of churning and you have chocolate chip ice cream. Swirl fudge in and drop pieces of brownie in the last few minutes of churning and yep, you've got vanilla fudge brownie ice cream. You get the idea; the sky's the limit. But first thing's first: master this recipe. You'll never buy vanilla ice cream again.


Vanilla Ice Cream, Philadelphia-Style
Recipe by David Lebovitz in The Perfect Scoop

3 cups heavy cream, or 2 cups heavy cream and 1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour 1 cup of the cream into a medium saucepan and add the sugar and salt. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan and add the pod to the pot. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 cups cream (or the remaining 1 cup cream and the milk) and the vanilla extract.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. When ready to churn, remove the vanilla bean, rinsing and reserving it for another use, and then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Makes about 1 quart (1 liter).

Coffee Ice Cream

I think coffee ice cream is magical. It's a flavor that even some of my non-coffee-drinking friends still enjoy as an ice cream. Of course if you're a coffee drinker like I am, then coffee ice cream might be sheer euphoria. And I'm all for strong flavor; I drink my coffee black and want to taste the quality of the beans without the distraction of cream and sugar.

This ice cream recipe by David Lebovitz is outstanding. Be sure to select carefully the coffee beans you use for it because they will determine the taste of the end product. Since the recipe calls for a cup and a half of beans that you're going to discard afterward, I went to Trader Joe's and got one of those large cheap canisters of a bold coffee. I figured that way if I screwed up or the recipe wasn't as dreamy as I had hoped, I didn't invest too much. Well, I've got a couple of things to say about that. First, I was an idiot to question for even a second that a David Lebovitz ice cream could be anything less than perfect. Second, the Trader Joe's coffee was fantastic, and so now I know I can get away with making great ice cream from cheap beans.

Every time you make this ice cream, it will come out differently. Think of the possibilities. I mean, no two brews are alike, plus, if you keep trying different coffee brands, you'll keep getting different ice creams! Next time I'm going to try Dunkin' Donuts French Vanilla coffee beans. Maybe then I won't scare my sister off. She normally loves coffee ice cream, but my version made with a very bold bean was actually more than she could handle as someone who doesn't drink her coffee black. I'll try not to make my flavors all about me in the future. :)


Coffee Ice Cream
Recipe by David Lebovitz in The Perfect Scoop
Makes about 1 quart

1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whole coffee beans
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon finely ground coffee

Warm the milk, sugar, whole coffee beans, salt, and 1/2 cup of the cream in a medium saucepan. Once the mixture is warm, cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Rewarm the coffee-infused milk mixture. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm coffee mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Press on the coffee beans in the strainer to extract as much of the coffee flavor as possible, then discard the beans. Mix in the vanilla and the finely ground coffee and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Warm the milk, sugar, beans, salt and half cup of the cream...

Cover, remove from heat, and let steep for 1 hour...

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and then add the warmed coffee-infused milk...

Pour the egg-coffee-milk mixture back into the saucepan and stir constantly over medium heat till mixture thickens...

Pour the custard through a strainer and into a bowl containing the remaining 1 cup of cream...

After discarding the beans, add the vanilla and finely ground coffee and stir over an ice bath...
The ice cream mixture is ready to go in the fridge (I insist on chilling it overnight)...

Take the mixture out of the fridge and pour into your ice cream maker...

When it's done churning, it will look like this yummy soft serve ice cream...

Serve soft or freeze until hard...

Scoop and enjoy!

Aztec "Hot" Chocolate Ice Cream

I don't know what it is about people these days, but it seems like for all the progress and advancement we've been making in other areas over the decades (women's rights, civil rights, um, Obama!!!), still many of my friends would think I'm crazy for suggesting spicy chocolate. What the heck. This is not 1950 and pepper and chocolate are no longer exotic. In fact, spicy chocolate has been around for over a thousand years, outdating most of you! I could make vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ice cream every time, but where's the fun in that? (Though having said that, I have some amazing versions of those plain janes I'll be sharing with you soon).

This David Lebovitz ice cream is out of this world, and the chile powder in the recipe gives it a nice kick without being overwhelming or fire-extinguisher-requiring. And because it doesn't call for egg yolks, it's an easier ice cream to make than the custard method kinds. I'm adding it to my regular repertoire and my friends are just going to have to deal with it.

A Word About Ice Cream Cookbooks
If there is a single ice cream cookbook I would recommend to everyone, it is David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop. I own 6 or 7 ice cream cookbooks, and have dozens more cookbooks that have ice cream recipes within them. Many of the authors are fabulous, famous, even celebrity chefs. But I've never been more confident of an ice cream turning out than in The Perfect Scoop. I can guarantee you your ice cream will be perfect, as Lebovitz boldly claims in his title.


Aztec "Hot" Chocolate Ice Cream
Recipe by David Lebovitz in The Perfect Scoop

2 1/4 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 to 3 teaspoons chile powder (see Note from Lebovitz below)
2 tablespoons brandy

Whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, and sugar in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, then whisk until it is completely melted. Stir in the milk, vanilla salt, cinnamon, chile powder, and brandy. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend for 30 seconds, until very smooth.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Note from Lebovitz: I like the taste of smoky ancho or chipotle chile powder, available in Mexican markets. They can vary in intensity, so if you're unsure of the strength of your chile powder, add the smaller amount and let it sit for awhile, then see if you like it before adding more. The subtle warmth can heat up as it stands.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Eggnog Ice Cream, the Cheating Method

Call me what you will. Perfectionist sounds about right. But if you read my last post on Eggnog Ice Cream, things didn't go exactly how I wanted them to go. Enter: Backup Plan Eggnog Ice Cream. I read somewhere on the internet that you could simply take a carton of eggnog and churn it. I HAD to see this for myself. So I went to Trader Joe's, purchased their brand of eggnog, and went home to try it out. Normally, I wouldn't expect a carton of anything to churn successfully into ice cream, but eggnog shares a lot of similarities with the custard method of making ice cream because it's a creamy drink made with eggs.

Low and behold, the carton of eggnog churned. Too cool!

1-Ingredient Eggnog Ice Cream
Recipe by Marni (well, really, borrowed from the internet)

1 (1-quart) carton of eggnog

Pour the entire contents of the eggnog carton into an ice cream machine and churn until thick. Scoop into a container and set in freezer to harden to your liking. Voila!


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Eggnog Ice Cream

I love eggnog. I love it straight up, or as a quick bread, bundt cake, or ice cream flavor. But it's a heart attack in a glass so I probably have it just once a year. Since I'm on an ice cream kick (just you wait, I have at least three more flavors currently in my freezer to reveal to you), I thought I'd see how hard it could possibly be to make eggnog ice cream. Answer: hard...or should I say soft, since that's what the problem was.

I spent some time sifting through recipes on the internet, comparing ingredients, measurements, and methods. I read reviews by users who had tested the recipes, too. In the end, I decided to go with Alton Brown's version, though I did add vanilla and increase the amount of nutmeg. But when I put the mixture in my ice cream machine to churn it, it never fully thickened to soft ice cream consistency like my past ice creams have. I poured the goopy attempt at ice cream into a container and threw it in the freezer; I'll eat it even if it remains eggnog soup. Fortunately, it did successfully freeze after a couple of hours.

Looking back at my method and what could have gone wrong, I can think of only one thing: maybe there is too much alcohol in this recipe. 3 ounces of bourbon! A little alcohol in ice cream can be great for making the texture smooth, but too much and it will never freeze. Or maybe I was just asleep at the wheel this time. We'll never know...

Eggnog Ice Cream
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown

4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 pint whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ounces bourbon

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until the yolks lighten in color and the sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Then return everything to the pot and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and bourbon, pour through a medium-holed mesh strainer into a medium mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 40 degrees F, approximately 4 to 6 hours.

Once chilled, process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Serve as is for soft-serve, or place in an airtight container and put in the freezer for 2 to 4 hours for traditional ice cream.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Make the custard and then pour the vanilla and bourbon in...

Pour the mixture through a medium-holed mesh strainer, then refrigerate overnight...

It will look like this when it's ready to churn...

Eggnog Ice Cream churning...
When it's done churning, scoop into a container and freeze...

Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

I came home from work and noticed very ripe bananas on my countertop. Until recently, I, like most people, would think of two options for these bananas: banana bread or the trash. Certainly I'm not crazy enough to eat the mushy things raw or in cereal! Ok, I'll admit that since I'm a baker, I have plenty of ideas for ripe bananas, but banana bread is still the first one that comes to mind.

Here's the thing, though. Ever since I started making ice cream, I've been looking at ingredients around my kitchen differently. Now I look at ripe bananas and have three likely, no-brainer options. Banana ice cream would be a cinch to make, and why should banana bread get all the glory?

And armed with that, I have just officially one-upped my two-option friends. Neener neener.


Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Recipe by Emily Luchetti in A Passion for Ice Cream (well actually, I added the chocolate chips to her Banana Ice Cream recipe)

2 bananas
3 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cups heavy (whipping) cream
6-8 ounces mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft and beginning to give off some liquid. Let cool. Remove the skins from the bananas. Puree the bananas in a food processor.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt. Combine the milk, cream, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until almost simmering. Slowly pour the milk and cream into the eggs, whisking as you pour. Return the milk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant plastic or wooden spatula, until the custard reaches 175 degrees F and lightly coats the spatula.

Strain the custard into a clean bowl and cool over an ice bath until room temperature. Stir the banana puree into the custard. Cover and refrigerate the custard for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is almost done, add the chocolate chips and churn for about 3 minutes or until incorporated. Freeze until scoopable, about 4 hours, depending on your freezer.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Place ripe bananas on baking sheet...

Bake them until liquid oozes out of them...
Let the bananas cool in their peel, and then remove the peel...

Puree the bananas...
Meanwhile, prepare the custard mixture and strain over an ice bath...

Add the banana puree, stir well, and then chill in fridge overnight...

Churn into ice cream and add the chocolate chips about 3 minutes before finishing...
Homemade banana chocolate chip ice cream!

Voila!

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Happy Halloween!!
I've gone a little insane the past week. I decided making ice cream would be my new form of relaxation. I knew it was going to be a learning process because while I've used my ice cream maker before, it was only for sorbet or vanilla ice cream. I had never attempted a more exotic flavor nor had I ever applied the custard method. I was up to the challenge since I was well-equipped with two expert ice cream cookbooks (David Lebovitz and Emily Luchetti) not to mention a mother who's already ventured beyond plain vanilla and made some incredible ice creams lately.


The schedule this week went something like the following:
Day 1: Come home from work. Make mixture of first batch of ice cream. Put in fridge to chill overnight.
Day 2: Come home from work. Churn batch number 1. Make mixture of batch number 2. Put batch number 2 in fridge to chill overnight.
Day 3: Come home from work. Churn batch number 2. Make mixture of batch number 3. Put batch number 3 in fridge to chill overnight. Make homemade hot fudge.
Day 4: Come home from work. Churn batch number 3. Have an ice cream party and eat 3 delicious homemade flavors smothered in hot fudge.

I am happy to report that I have mastered the custard method, which I needed for two of the three recipes. Yippee! I'm less happy to report that I'm pretty much out of room in my freezer to make more ice cream. But that's nothing a few more ice cream parties can't fix.

In honor of Halloween, one of my batches is pumpkin ice cream. And it tastes just like pumpkin pie!


Pumpkin Ice Cream
Recipe by Emily Luchetti in A Passion for Ice Cream

3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup pumpkin puree

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt.

Cook the milk, cream, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the cinnamon, and ginger in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until almost simmering. Slowly whisk the liquid into the egg mixture. Return the milk mixture to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant plastic or wooden spatula, until the custard reaches 175 degrees F and lightly coats the spatula. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve. Cool over an ice bath until room temperature. Stir in the pumpkin puree. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Place the ice cream in the freezer.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Combine egg yolks, sugar, and salt.


Make the milk mixture, add to the egg mixture, then put all of it back in the saucepan and heat to 175 degrees F.

Strain the mixture over an ice bath.

Let cool to room temperature.

Then stir in the pumpkin.

Put the mixture in the fridge to chill overnight. Then churn in the ice cream maker.

Scoop into a container and store in the freezer.