Here at Erubite, we’re all about misnomers! Well, pointing them out, anyway. “Ice-cream season” implies, rather boldly, we might add, that ice cream can be out-of-season—a preposterous and ignoble a notion as we’ve ever encountered! And while one’s duty to his or her stomach, at least from an evolutionary perspective, does not include the guzzling of frozen custard, we certainly do see its utility in alleviating some of the stress with which this complex behemoth we call “society” regularly encumbers us. Ice cream is simultaneously the most coveted food item, and the cheapest therapy that money can buy! That said, please (very seriously, please), we implore you to look at these charts and internalize your part in them: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
Dreary dreary! Off to the recipe!
1 c sugar
1 qt half-and-half
2 TBS glucose* (the shape of this sugar interferes with crystallization, making a smoother, softer ice cream)
1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise and disemboweled (sorry—just scrape the insides out with a knife))
0.25 tsp salt
12-15 egg yolks
*If do not have glucose on hand (it is almost always in liquid form in grocery stores), you can create some by hydrolyzing (removing water molecule(s) (hydro-) to break apart (-lyze—the British version, “hydrolyse” retains the spelling of the term lyse, which is the verb form of lysis, usually the act of a cell rupturing, however, its original Greek form, lusis, meaning “loosening,” allows for broader use, such as in hydrolyze) some sucrose (table/granulated sugar) into its component fructose and glucose (1:1). To hydrolyze sugar, you will need some kind of acid aided by heat (to speed up the reaction). The resulting solution will be slightly sweeter than table sugar because while glucose is not as sweet as sucrose, fructose is nearly twice so. This will not produce pure glucose, but equal parts glucose and fructose, both of which engender a smoother, softer ice cream.
The more glucose and fructose you add to your ice cream, the softer it will be—feel free to experiment, but be warned, if you add too much, the ice cream will not harden.
2 TBS sugar
1 g cream of tartar (a mere knife-tip-full)
1 TB water
Stir together and then heat in a small pan on medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves and begins to thicken (indicating that most of the added water has boiled off). And there you have it—glucose and fructose!
See Crème anglaise Post for full instructions on how to create the ice cream base.
Heat half-and-half with HALF the sugar and whatever you wish to infuse in the ice cream, (e.g. vanilla bean, mint leaves, cinnamon)
Heat for at least 10 min to infuse flavorings—do not boil
Let cool below to 185ºF or below (10 min off heat is sufficient)
(strain if infusing solids)
Combine egg yolks and rest of sugar
Temper egg yolks
Heat mixture to 185ºF (will thicken, but should still be smooth, not lumpy, curdled, or scrambled)
(Add extracts if using, e.g. vanilla)
Chill until refrigerator temperature, 4-6 hours. Best flavor after 12
Pour into ice-cream maker
Chill in freezer until firm (12-24 hours)
Make certain that if your machine requires components to have been chilled in the freezer, that you have done so for the adequate amount of time. Other machines will require decent quantities of ice (purchase a large bag, or its equivalent in smaller bags) and salt. There exists “ice cream” salt, but in a pinch you could use table salt (it requires a lot, and “ice cream” salt is cheaper) or even driveway salt. These salts never come in direct contact with the ice cream, and their purpose is only to lower the freezing/melting point of the icy slurry surrounding the ice cream. The greater the difference between a substance’s melting point and its surroundings, the faster it melts. It can only melt, however, by absorbing heat from somewhere: something must be heating it up. In this case, it is the liquid ice cream that gives off heat that is absorbed by the slurry, and as it does so, the ice cream liquid gets colder and colder until it freezes. Untreated ice would not be cold enough to freeze ice cream, whose sugar and fat depress its freezing/melting point below that of pure water.
Be sure to follow the instructions on your particular machine. If you are looking for a good ice cream maker, you will not regret investing $70-80 in Cuisinart’s 2 qt ice cream maker [link]. Again, follow the instructions and let your ice cream machine take care of the rest. If you choose to add bits of chocolate or any other solids, do so just before you remove your mostly-frozen ice cream from the machine and let it freeze (either in a new container or the machine’s) solid (6-24 hours).
Erubite 