Recipe: Vanilla Ice Cream and Basic Ice Cream Making Instructions

Okay… we’re ready to start making ice cream… you peruse the recipe booklet… ohhh… there are a few tempting recipes…. Chocolate Fudge Brownie comes to mind… but… it really makes sense to start with a basic ice cream first… what’s more basic than vanilla?... well …. you may answer chocolate… but chocolate requires a little different technique and a little more work with the batter… vanilla is really the best place to start….

This recipe is from Cuisinart.

Basic Ice Cream Making Instructions

So here we are… the freezer bowl has been in the freezer for 24 hours… really.. don’t skimp on this step… you will regret it… you want this stuff to freeze and freeze well.

Leave the freezer bowl in the freezer until the last minute before you need it. So while you make the batter… leave it in the freezer.

Get everything set-up… the machine on the counter… lid and paddle next to it… simple enough.

TIPS

Ingredients…. get out everything you need… so it’s handy…

Just a quick word about ingredients here… use the best quality… you really don’t use a lot… and the freshest and best quality will only make your ice cream that much better.

Don’t cheap out on the vanilla… after all… that’s the flavor here… you screw up the vanilla.. you screw up your ice cream…. use a good quality vanilla…

I’m all for store brands.. and in some baking… and dessert recipes it’s really not that big a deal to use a cheaper quality vanilla… only when it enhances a dish’s flavor… if it IS the flavor… you really want the best quality available.

Their instructions say to use a medium bowl and a hand mixer or whisk to combine the milk and sugar…. I used my standing mixer with the wire whisk… I set the mixer on low speed and blended for about 2 minutes… you need to mix it until the sugar dissolves… this is not quick doing it by hand since the milk is cold… I just found my method easier.

Heavy cream versus trying to make a lowfat ice cream… for your first ice cream.. stick to the recipe… you can always try variations later on when you’re not trying to learn just what it needs to look like to be done etc.

All you need:

1 cup whole milk, well chilled
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (to taste…I used 2)

All you need to do:


In a mixing bowl combine the milk and sugar… beat at low speed until sugar is dissolved…about two minutes.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.






Take the freezer bowl out of the freezer and set it on the machine base.

Insert the paddle with the little point into the little hole in the freezer bowl.






Place the plastic lid over the freezer bowl and turn to lock it into place.













Flip the machine on and pour the ice cream batter through the opening at the top of the plastic lid.

Set a timer for 25 minutes. It will take between 25-30 minutes for the ice cream to thicken (this is using the Cuisinart ICE-20 model)… if you are using a different brand or model… check your instruction booklet to be sure the timing is the same.


TIP - The first time I made a batch of vanilla ice cream I only did it for 25 minutes.. it was only slightly thick… after making ice cream a few times… I realized… with my machine it was best to do it for 30 minutes…. it froze much better when it was a bit thicker when removed from the freezer bowl.

The consistency is like thick frozen soft serve ice cream… see photo.



When your ice cream has thickened… turn the machine off… remove the lid and paddle… then remove the freezer bowl and pour into your container… secure the container lid and pop it into your freezer… and you’re done!

Be careful when removing the last bits of ice cream along the bottom sides of the freezer bowl… the ice cream has a tendency to stick… don’t use sharp objects to scrape it out… just let it set a bit to melt… then the cook gets to use a spoon and eat the spoils!

Your ice cream will need to ripen for about 2 hours or more to become like a hard ice cream… or you can eat it like a soft serve ice cream.

Now that was easy…wasn’t it?

Clean-Up

Here it really is important to follow your manufacturer’s instructions… you don’t want to do anything to damage your ice cream maker...especially the freezer bowl.

Let the freezer bowl set in your sink with warm water for a while… it needs to get to room temperature so you can wash it without water freezing to the sides… you can’t adequately dry it if it isn’t at room temperature… and towels and paper towels will stick to it.

It needs to be thoroughly dry before placing it back in the freezer for the next time.

Now wasn’t that a snap? … Come back for more flavors... tips and ideas.