To kickoff my 30 Days of Dairy I am going to start with one of our favorite dairy foods and recipes! HOMEMADE vanilla ice cream! Yes, you will need an ice cream freezer to make this, I use both a traditional 4 quart electric ice cream maker or the new 2 quart automatic ice cream makers where you freeze the bowl and plug it in on your counter, and either works well. You will have to run two batches if you use the 2 quart automatic freezer or cut the batch in half.
Homemade ice cream has been a family tradition for both my husband’s family and my own since we can both remember. My family would always make this delicious ice cream with our Jersey milk and cream. Since we’ve been married I started making homemade ice cream for some gatherings with friends and they always love those hot afternoon ice cream sundaes! I normally keep things basic with just vanilla but you can certainly jazz it up and I have a few of my family favorite variations listed below.
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp. Flour
- 4 eggs
- 2 quarts milk, divided
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- To prepare the custard use a double boiler or heavy saucepan. Mix together sugar and flour in the double boiler or saucepan.
- Beat in the eggs and then gradually add 2 cups of the milk and mix very well.
- Cook mixture over low to medium heat stirring constantly until it starts to bubble.
- Remove from heat and cool.
- Once cool add the mixture to the ice cream freezer can.
- Add sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, heavy whipping cream and the remainder of the milk.
- Freeze according to the instructions of your ice cream freezer.
Chocolate – Add 2 ½ cup squares of unsweetened chocolate to custard while cooking.
Mint Chocolate Chip – Omit vanilla. Add in 6 oz. semi-sweet baking bar chopped or mini chocolate chips, 1 ½ tsp. peppermint extract, and ½ tsp. or more of green food coloring to the ice cream freezer can before churning.
Fruit – Add 3 cup pureed fruit in place of 3 cups milk added to the ice cream freezer can before churning.
Grape Nuts – Add 1 cup Grape Nuts cereal to the ice cream mixture before churning.
Butter Pecan – Substitute 1 cup of the sugar for brown sugar. Add ½ cup chopped pecans before churning.
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