Ice cream is probably everyone’s favourite snack. Adults and children love it alike. With summer upon us, the craving is about to intensify. For a lot of people, this snack is a necessity. But think of all the money you could save by making your ice cream instead of buying it at the supermarket.
In this article, we will teach you how to make ice cream. Don’t worry, there’s no need to have an ice cream maker.
Ingredients
- Two cups of heavy cream
- One cup of whole milk
- Half a cup of granulated sugar
- One teaspoon of vanilla extract
These ingredients make 4-6 servings of Vanilla Ice cream.
Procedure
- Place a meatloaf pan in the freezer and allow it to cool. Doing this speeds up the ice cream’s freezing.
- In a suitable bowl, beat the heavy whipped cream on high speed until it forms stiff peaks. You can do this with a balloon whisk or an immersion blender.
- Combine the whole milk and sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Stir it occasionally, and don’t allow it to boil.
- Add the vanilla extract or any other flavouring to the mixture and stir. Leave it to cool to room temperature.
- Add the whipped cream to the milk mixture in batches, whisking after each new addition. Whisk for about two minutes more.
- Pour the mixture into the meatloaf pan and freeze it for at least two hours. Keep it in the freezer for up to four hours to get a more solid ice cream.
- Every thirty minutes, use a fork to scrape the surface of the mixture to break up ice crystals that may have formed. This allows the ice cream to be smooth and creamy.
- Once the ice cream is ready, scoop it into cones or bowls, sprinkle chocolate chips or preferred toppings, and enjoy!
Noteworthy
This recipe will give you a soft-serve type of ice cream. For creamier ice cream, add more heavy cream and less whole milk.
Create a variety of flavours by adding different flavourings, nuts, and fruits to the mixture just before freezing it.
Use egg whites to give your ice cream a creamier flavour. The more you whisk the eggs, the lighter your ice cream’s texture. This is because the whisking process entraps air in the mixture.
Tips on using garnishes and flavor enhancers
- Toast the nuts before adding them to your milk-cream mixture. Or sprinkle chopped nuts on the finished ice cream. Toasting helps to enhance the nut’s flavour.
- As opposed to vanilla extract, you can heat vanilla beans in the milk and take them out after heating.
- Using cocoa powder gives your ice cream a chocolate flavour. But there’s no rule that states you can’t use melted chocolate or both!
- Adding fruits to ice cream as a garnishing is easy. All you have to do is dice the fruit and sprinkle it on top. But if you are using it as a flavour enhancer, you have to cook it slightly with sugar. This keeps it soft enough to chew on, even when your ice cream is frozen.
- Fudge and caramel are best added just before freezing your ice cream.
- Alcohol can affect the way your ice cream solidifies. If you’re adding this ingredient to your recipe, reduce the amount of sugar by a notch to prevent that effect.
Storage and shelf life
Store your ice cream in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid that can withstand freezing temperatures. Keep it in a freezer at 0°F (-18°C), or lower.
Avoid storing your ice cream near strong-smelling foods. Label the container with the date the ice cream was made to enable you to track its shelf age.
Homemade ice cream is of the best quality when it is between 1 to 2 weeks old. The quality begins to degrade after each month. By month three, it is best to throw it out as it may have developed a freezer burn.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve mastered the art of homemade ice cream, the possibilities are endless! Treat yourself to a bowl (or two, we won’t judge) and savour the sweet satisfaction of your creamy creation. With this easy recipe, you’ll be something of an ice cream-making pro in no time.
