FRENCH VANILLA ICE CREAM
Paris, France. French vanilla ice cream.
Christmas came early and Santa just left me a Whynter ice cream maker. Wow! We made one batch of ice cream in it and I immediately got rid of all the previous ice cream makers we had hanging out in the garage never being used. No messing with ice and rock salt or freezing the inner container. But best of all, it made the most incredible French vanilla ice cream I have ever had. Better than anything we had found in France. I was stunned.
The technique of making ice cream is to use a method and ingredients that prevent the cream from freezing solid. The constant churning in an ice cream maker and some of the ingredients keep the ice crystals small so the ice cream stays creamy. In this recipe, the creme fraiche, alcohol and corn syrup are the keys to keeping the ice crystals small.
The creme fraiche is homemade (see our blog post) from Horizon cream, which makes this an eco-friendly swap as well, since Horizon is taking action on climate change to be carbon positive in just 4 years. So we are saving the world, one dish of ice cream at a time. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it. We use Wholesome corn syrup because it is necessary to use a sugar that is super saturated to get the texture right, and according to Wholesome, their “Organic Light Corn Syrup is the only organic alternative to GMO-based, highly processed, synthetic corn syrups on the market. It is NOT a high-fructose corn syrup!”
This recipe was adapted from one we found on the Milk Street blog, where they give a great explanation of why this works.
REASONS TO MAKE IT YOURSELF:
- You can use your favorite brand of cream. We use Horizon – it’s organic, tastes great, and they are taking action on climate change to be carbon positive in just 4 years.
- You will know that it contains nothing but the ingredients you put in.
- Homemade ice cream can taste richer and more elegant than store bought ice cream.
- You can play with flavors, using whatever is in season and getting creative.
- The recipe calls for alcohol, and you can use anything that is 80 proof or more, so this allows a lot of creativity.
Equipment
- Whynter ice cream maker
- stand mixer
Ingredients
- 250 grams Horizon cream
- 85 grams Wholesome corn syrup
- 1 Vanilla Bean or 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs one egg and one egg yolk
- 70 grams Wholesome organic sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 250 grams Creme fraiche homemade from Horizon cream
- 1 Tablespoon vodka
Instructions
- Put a glass storage container in the freezer.
- In a small saucepan, bring cream, corn syrup and vanilla bean to a simmer, stirring to combine.
- Remove the vanilla bean, split it with a knife and scrape the paste off, adding the paste back into the cream. If you are using vanilla extract, add it after simmering the cream.
- In the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar and salt for 2 minutes on medium speed.
- Switch to low speed and slowly add the cream and corn syrup mixture.
- Continue wisking on low and add the creme fraiche and vodka.
- Refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Pour into the ice cream maker and make ice cream according to the directions.
- Transfer ice cream into a glass container that has been in the freezer, cover, and put the container back in the freezer overnight.
- Store in the freezer for up to a week.
