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If you have an ice cream maker sitting at home, unused, now is the time to dust it off and make your own ice cream. I promise that it is easier than you think!
I have an ancient Krups Ice Cream Maker. It was my mom’s and I stole it when I moved into my own apartment. Shhh… don’t tell her. My ice cream maker requires that you keep the bowl in the freezer before you use it to make ice cream. Check your directions and see if you need to do any prep before you promise your kids ice cream today!
Making ice cream can easily be a one or two-day project. Part 1 is making the custard for the ice cream and then it has to chill for a bit. Part 2 is actually putting the custard into your ice cream maker and churning out some ice cream magic. You can make the ice cream one afternoon and then churn your ice cream the next day. Or, if you are ambitious, you can make the custard and the ice cream in one afternoon if you have enough time to let the custard chill for a bit.
Part 1: Make The Custard
Every ice cream – no matter what flavor – needs to start with a basic custard recipe. To make your custard, you only need to start with four basic ingredients – cream, half and half, sugar, and kosher salt.
Custard Ingredients For Your Ice Cream:
1 ½ cups cream
1 cup half and half
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
5 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar
Step 1: Whisk together the first four ingredients over low to medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved into the cream. Set aside and let cool for about 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t let a film form on the milk or you will need to strain your custard.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk 5 egg yolks with ¼ cup of sugar.
Step 3: Slowly add the warm cream mixture – a little bit at a time – into the whisked egg yolk mixture. Once the warm cream mixture is completely mixed together with the egg mixture, pour into a saucepan and heat over low to medium heat. I like to stir my custard with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens. Don’t let it curdle.
Part 2: Chill The Custard and Churn Your Ice Cream
Step 1: Chill the mixture in the refrigerator before you add it to your ice cream maker. Chill for at least an hour.
Step 2: Add the chilled custard to your ice cream machine. After it’s been running for about 10 minutes, add mini chocolate chips if you want – or sliced strawberries – or another fun flavor. Or keep it plain! My ice cream maker needs to run for 20 to 30 minutes to turn my custard into ice cream.
Step 3: Once your custard is ice cream consistency, transfer to a loaf pan. Smooth it out. Put it in the freezer to make it scoopable. It usually takes about an hour in the freezer to get mine hard enough to scoop with an ice cream scooper.
Enjoy!
If you want to make coffee ice cream, click here for a link to my coffee ice cream recipe.
If you want to make easy ice cream sandwiches, find the Smarty Cooking School recipe here.
