The best time of year to make ice cream?
I know what you are thinking, any time is a good time for ice cream. However, in Spring when the cows are on the newly growing pasture and the grass is at its most nutritious is subsequently the best time for ice cream. However, I do make ice cream whenever we feel like eating it, particularly when we have fresh ripe berries in the garden. Even so, I do make a large volume of ice cream in the Spring for optimum nutritional value.
Ingredients:
4¼ cup - 2 pints - 1 litre of full cream raw milk¾cup - 6oz - 175g of coconut sugar
1⅔ cups - 400ml - ¾ of a pint of raw, heavy/double cream
1 Bourbon vanilla bean/pod
Method
In order to obtain the maximum vanilla flavour and to get that lovely speckled vanilla look, split the vanilla bean down the middle lengthways with a sharp knife and place in a heavy-bottomed pan with the milk.
Put the pan onto the stove and heat gently until the milk is warm, above all make sure the milk doesn't boil!
Meanwhile whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until creamy.
Add the warmed milk and whisk again until frothy.
Now
place the mixture into your milk pan and cook slowly on a low heat,
(put on a film!) stirring all the time (about 20 minutes) until the
mixture coats the back of the spoon.
Leave to cool and set.
At this stage you can now remove the vanilla bean but if I have split it, I usually leave it in, as it will continue to infuse the mixture.
Add the cream and whisk again.
If you have an ice cream maker, that's great! I don't so this is how I make it:
Place
in a box and freeze until it is just beginning to harden on the top
surface but the underneath is still soft.
Empty the ice cream into a large
solid mixing bowl.
Apply the
potato masher to the semi-frozen ice cream. You will now
understand why you need a heavy duty bowl. This process is to break up
the ice crystals which have formed and to obtain a smooth ice cream.
Once it is broken down sufficiently, whisk it up with an electric beater and place it back into the freezer box.
This process of mashing, whisking and freezing is repeated three times in all and at the third stage you will probably be able to whisk the ice cream directly in the freezer container.
I add any flavours or additions to the ice cream at the third and final stage. This with the exception of flavours that need to be infused into the ice cream when initially warming the milk such as rose petal.
I add any flavours or additions to the ice cream at the third and final stage. This with the exception of flavours that need to be infused into the ice cream when initially warming the milk such as rose petal.
Before serving the ice cream you should remove it from the freezer for around 15 minutes to 'ripen' and soften.
If
you enjoyed this recipe then please feel free to comment and share it
with your friends and on social media.
Hope to see you here again for another recipe from an old farmhouse in Normandie,
All the very best,
Sue
© Sue Cross 2020
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