Description
Delicate French vanilla ice cream blends rich custard with smooth cream, creating a nostalgic dessert from Paris. Silky vanilla notes and creamy texture promise a luxurious experience you’ll savor with each spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeded
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) whole milk
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp (1.5 g) salt
Instructions
- Prepare Ice Bath: Create a cooling station by nestling a fine-mesh strainer-equipped bowl into a larger vessel filled with ice and water.
- Infuse Cream Base: Combine milk, cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean seeds in a saucepan. Gently heat until steaming, allowing flavors to meld and release aromatic compounds, approximately 5 minutes.
- Temper Egg Mixture: Whisk egg yolks with remaining sugar until pale and silky. Gradually incorporate half the warm cream mixture, stirring constantly to prevent egg scrambling.
- Cook Custard: Return the tempered mixture to the saucepan, cooking over medium heat while continuously stirring. Monitor consistency until the custard elegantly coats the back of a wooden spoon or reaches 175°F, indicating proper thickening.
- Strain and Cool: Immediately pour the custard through the fine-mesh strainer into the prepared ice bath, removing vanilla pod. Stir periodically, allowing the mixture to cool naturally to room temperature.
- Chill Thoroughly: Cover the custard surface directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for minimum 4 hours, enabling complete flavor development and optimal texture.
- Churn and Freeze: Transfer chilled custard to an ice cream maker, following manufacturer’s freezing instructions. Once churned, transfer to an airtight container, smoothing the surface and sealing with plastic wrap to prevent ice crystals.
- Final Set: Allow the ice cream to firm in the freezer for an additional 2 hours, enhancing its rich, creamy consistency and allowing flavors to harmonize.
Notes
- Temper Eggs Carefully: Slowly add hot milk to egg yolks while whisking constantly to prevent scrambling and create a smooth, silky custard base.
- Check Custard Thickness: Use the back-of-spoon method or instant-read thermometer to ensure perfect custard consistency without overcooking.
- Prevent Skin Formation: Cover custard directly with plastic wrap when cooling to avoid unwanted texture and maintain a creamy surface.
- Chill Thoroughly: Refrigerate custard for at least 4 hours or overnight to develop deep vanilla flavors and achieve optimal ice cream texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 367
- Sugar: 21 g
- Sodium: 0.2 g
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 123 mg