Vanilla Ice Cream

Sometimes, in life, all we need is some good vanilla ice cream.

I made this ice cream to accompany an apple pie, but the ice cream stole the show. The apple pie just ended up being an excuse for me to make vanilla ice cream.

As I gathered the ingredients and grabbed a jar of vanilla bean paste, I saw that it had “bourbon vanilla” written on it on the label.

My eyes innocently flickered to the bottle of bourbon in the kitchen.

You know where this is going.

The best vanilla ice creams are the ones that are off-white-almost-yellow and with lots of black speckles of real vanilla bean. I wanted to add more egg yolks to get a rich, custardy yellow, but to be perfectly transparent, it already has slightly too much egg yolk. I considered lessening the amount of egg yolk, but then I thought… No. The people need this. 

 

Even in this blurry photo while it’s in the midst of churning, you can see the dark vanilla bean flecks, not to brag.

This recipe doesn’t call for whole vanilla beans—not trying to break your bank here—but it still has tons of real vanilla flavor from both extract and paste for a double-hit combo. Bam bam. Vanilla.

The hit of bourbon also adds a gentle sort of depth to round out the flavor, but it isn’t necessary, and you can replace it with more vanilla extract or omit it altogether.

Also, note that this makes a somewhat small batch, as it doesn’t have any mix-ins taking up space. You can easily double it if you want more, and you definitely should if you’re making it for family this year.

To be clear, the apple pie was fabulous, too, but I was in it for the ice cream.

Happy holidays, and without further ado… the recipe.

Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients

·       ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (130 g) sugar

·       ¼ teaspoon (1.54 g) salt

·       ¼ teaspoon (1.23 g) xanthan gum

·       3-4 (65 g) egg yolks

·       1 ¼ cups (300 g) milk

·       1 tablespoon (14.79 g) vanilla bean paste (bourbon vanilla preferred)

·       1 cup + 1 tablespoon (250 g) cream

·       2 teaspoons (9.86 g) vanilla extract

·       1 teaspoon (4.93 g) bourbon whiskey (can omit or replace with more vanilla extract)

Directions

1.       In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt, and xanthan gum until the solids are evenly dispersed.

2.       Add egg yolks to the saucepan with the sugar mixture and mix or whisk until the sugar is distributed in the egg yolks.

3.       Add milk and vanilla paste. Set over medium heat and stir, scraping the bottom, until the mixture reaches 165 F/73.9 C. Once it reaches that temperature, turn off the heat, take the saucepan off the heat, and cover it with a lid.

4.       Let the ice cream base cool for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir in the cream, vanilla extract, and whiskey. Strain into a clean container, cover, and let it rest in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

5.       When ready to churn, place a clean, empty ice cream container into the freezer. Churn the ice cream base according to your ice cream machine’s instructions until it looks like it’s the consistency of soft serve and it’s mostly matte instead of shiny. Quickly transfer the finished ice cream into the container in the freezer, then let freeze until it’s firm enough to scoop. Eat in a cone, or turn another dessert a la mode!

Notes

You can decrease the egg yolks by 1 if you’re concerned about getting a gummy texture.

The amount of bourbon whiskey in this is negligible and is unlikely to cause health problems for people avoiding alcohol. You could replace it with vanilla extract, but that is… also alcohol.

Q and A

Q: How long does this last in the freezer?

A: Depends on your willpower. Real answer: I don’t know, but pressing a piece of wax paper or parchment paper will help keep ice crystals from forming over time.

Q: What kind of milk should I use?

A: I haven’t noticed much of a difference between using whole, skim, or reduced-fat milk in my recipes. You can use any kind of pasteurized cow’s milk for this recipe.

Q: How does the flavor of bourbon affect the overall taste of the ice cream?

A: This ice cream doesn’t taste strongly of bourbon. The bourbon whiskey just helps round out the flavor and give the vanilla a bit of depth. It can also be omitted or replaced with more vanilla extract.

Q: Will the bourbon in this make you drunk?

A: No.

Q: What are some popular desserts to pair with this ice cream?

A: I can’t think of any desserts that wouldn’t be better a la mode. Apple pie… brownies… cake… I could go through the whole alphabet of sweets, really.

Q: What toppings can I add to vanilla ice cream?

A: You would dare ruin a perfect, pure vanilla ice cream? You heathen. Feel free to add edible cookie dough bites, chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, fruit, sprinkles, or whatever else makes your heart sing. Add some olive oil and sea salt if you want to try something new.

Looking for something a little more unique to make for the holidays? Try my recipe for Cookie Butter White Chocolate Ice Cream.