The Friday Baking Project

Making Ice Cream 101

Procedure steps for most custard-based ice creams:

1. Cream and milk are combined in saucepan with part of the sugar, and a flavoring (i.e., vanilla bean) brought to the simmer, heat turned off and left to steep.
2. Egg yolks and the remaining sugar are combined in mixing bowl to form a liaison (thickening agent).
3. The egg yolk/sugar mixture is warmed (tempered) by slowly whisking some of the hot cream into it. If egg yolks aren’t warmed prior to adding to the cream in the sauce pan, they will coagulate.
4. The custard is cooked over low heat just until it coats the back of the spoon, 180 °F. Cooking much further will result in cooked egg particles.
5. The mixture is strained into a clean container, excess heat is released by brief whisking, placed in an ice bath to cool down to 60 °F, then placed in a refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
6. Mixture is added to ice cream machine bowl and churned according the particular machine’s instructions.

Tools and equipment:

1. Ice cream machine: the basic Cuisinart 1.5 qt ice cream maker does a fine job. It uses an insulated freezer bowl which must be placed in the freezer overnight. Old-fashioned bucket models are also available as are counter-top machines with built in compressors.
2. 3-qt heavy bottomed sauce pan – to cook the custard, heavy bottom necessary to provide even cooking and reduce chance of over-cooked (scrambled) eggs on the bottom.
3. Instant read thermometer – tells you exactly when the custard has reached the necessary temperature (180 °F).
4. Stainless bowl or bain marie for the custard after straining.
5. Large bowl or sauce pan to hold ice bath.
6. Other tools: fine mesh strainer, whisk, heat-proof spatula, spoon (to check custard in absence of thermometer), liquid measuring cup, dry measuring cup or scale, trivet or hot pad to place the hot sauce pan.

Pre-recipe setup:

1. Day before: put insulated machine bowl in freezer (if using this type of machine).
2. On counter: small bowl for egg yolks, whisk, ice bath, clean bowl or bain marie for cooked custard, fine mesh strainer, hot pad or trivet.
3. On stove: 3 qt. heavy bottomed sauce pan
4. Adjacent to stove: whisk, heat-proof spatula to stir the custard, thermometer, pot holder, plate or something to hold the tools before and after they’re used.