Knock Your Socks Off Vanilla Ice Cream
Posted on 14 August 2008 by joy
It’s so hot. Just this morning I found myself standing in front of my open freezer enjoying the frozen air. I took a passing glance at the frozen salmon, the frozen vanilla cupcakes and the peas and corn and instantly thought, ICE CREAM! During these, the hottest days of the year, how is it possible that I don’t have any precious ice cream in my freezer? There’s only one way to properly solve this problem-
The Perfect Vanilla Ice Cream! It’s smooth, out of this world creamy and speckled with vanilla beans. It even has a secret weapon in the form of peach preserves that add a lovely roundness to the ice cream. Brilliant!
The Perfect Vanilla Ice Cream with a Secret Weapon
recipe from Alton Brown
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons peach preserves (not jelly)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
Combine all ingredients (including the bean and its pulp) in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Attach a frying or candy thermometer to inside of pan. (see note below) Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to 170 degrees F. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the hull of the vanilla bean, pour mixture into lidded container and refrigerate mixture overnight to mellow flavors and texture.Freeze mixture in ice cream freezer according to unit’s instructions. The mixture will not freeze hard in the machine. Once the volume has increased by 1/2 to 3/4 times, and reached a soft serve consistency, spoon the mixture back into a lidded container and harden in the freezer at least 1 hour before serving.
NOTE: If you do not have a thermometer, bring the mixture just barely to a simmer. As soon as you see a bubble hit the surface, remove it from the heat. Do not let it boil.
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Tags | ice cream, recipe, summer dessert
