Homemade Vanilla Custard Ice Cream

Some time ago I mentioned I wanted the "Homemakers' Cookbook and Guide to Nutrition".  It was a cookbook my mother owned and I spent hours looking through this book, even as an adult.  Mom's book didn't survive through the years but I longed to have one just like hers.  I made a search through cyberspace and found several on Ebay and left a few pointed hints to the boys and, what do you know, I received this one for my birthday a few months ago.   It's one of the best gifts I've ever received because it means so much to me. 

The cookbook David and Peter
gave me for my birthday.

The inside cover and flyleaf.  

The edge of the book.

There was a simple Vanilla Custard Ice Cream in the "Homemaker's Cookbook" that I wanted to try. The ingredient amounts were just perfect to fit in my tabletop ice cream freezer and there were no weird or strange ingredients. The directions were straight forward and needed little adjustments for the 21st century.  The book was published in 1947 and has quite a few antiquated, if not charming, terms and instructions.  

The recipe.  I've changed it a little.

Vanilla is the world's most popular flavour of ice cream.  I can understand that based on production and sales because vanilla ice cream forms the base of  so many flavoured ice creams.  And who doesn't grab a container of vanilla ice cream when shopping because just about everyone will eat it plain or drizzled with a chocolate, strawberry or butterscotch sauce?  It goes with almost any dessert.  A scoop of vanilla ice cream with a slice of  pie or a piece of cake takes the dessert from ordinary to special.  (I know there will be naysayers but vanilla ice cream is king.)

We enjoyed the Vanilla Custard Ice Cream, as I have renamed it.  I did use vanilla bean paste in place of the vanilla extract.  Vanilla beans are so expensive but if you want those little specks of vanilla bean showing, the paste is a good alternative.   



Vanilla Custard Ice Cream
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
¾ cup sugar, or to taste
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1 or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, or to taste

Bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat.  Mix cornstarch with cold water and pour into the hot milk stirring constantly until thickened.  Add the sugar to the beaten eggs and temper with some of the hot milk.  Gradually add the tempered eggs to the thickened milk stirring constantly.  Cook an additional 2 minutes over medium low heat.  Strain custard though a fine sieve and let cool.  Whisk  the cream and vanilla into the cooled custard.  Refrigerate until cold.  Freeze according to ice cream manufacturer's directions.

Makes about 1 litre (1 quart).

The ingredients:  Milk, cream, eggs, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla.

Cook the milk and cornstarch together.  

Beat the eggs and sugar together.

Pour some of the hot milk mixture into the eggs and sugar.  This will temper the eggs so they don't scramble.  No one wants "Scrambled Egg Ice Cream" !  

Pour the tempered mixture back into the hot milk mixture and continue to cook an additional 2 minutes.  

Strain the custard through a sieve.  This ensures there are no small lumps of cooked egg or cornstarch left in the custard.

Cool the mixture a little and add the vanilla.  At the last moment I decided to use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract.  I like the little black seeds showing in the ice cream. 

 Then stir in the cream.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for several hours.  

Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.  I have this little electric tabletop freezer.  Not quite as sturdy as the old hand-cranked freezers but adequate for our needs.

When frozen pack the ice cream in a bowl or plastic tub and continue the freezing process in your refrigerator freezer or deep freezer.  But, of course, you can dig in right away.

Your Vanilla Custard Ice Cream will be frozen hard enough to scoop in about 4-5 hours.  

Absolutely delicious!  So much better than store-bought.

Here, have a lick!

Just what you need on a hot summer day.