Blank Slate Custard Ice Cream

Makes between 1 and 1½ quarts ice cream

This recipe is a blank slate, created so you can adapt it to any flavor you like. All the recipes in this chapter stem from this basic recipe; armed with this formula, you can invent any flavor of custard-style ice cream you like. I recommend using it when you want to flavor your ice cream with deep, rich flavors like vanilla beans, whole spices, black teas, dark sugars, caramels, licorice, and brown liquors.

Cream (30%)
300g | 1½ cups

Milk (40%)
400g | 2 cups

Glucose syrup (5%)
50g | ¼ cup

Sugar (15%)
150g | ¾ cup

Egg yolks (10%)
100g | about 5 large yolks

Texture agent of your choice (see below)

Prepare an ice bath. Fill a large bowl two-thirds of the way with very icy ice water and place it in the refrigerator.

Boil the dairy and sugars. Put the cream, milk, glucose, and sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, and place it over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking occasionally to discourage the milk from scorching, until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil , then remove the pot from heat.

Temper the yolks and cook the custard. In medium bowl, whisk the yolks. Add ½ cup of the hot dairy mixture to the yolks while whisking so the hot milk doesn’t scramble the yolks. Pour the tempered yolks back into the pot of hot milk while whisking. Place the pot over medium-low heat and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot constantly with a rubber spatula to avoid curdling.

Chill. When you notice the custard thickening, or the temperature reaches 180°F on a thermometer, immediately pour the custard into a shallow metal or glass bowl . Nest the hot bowl into the ice bath, stirring occasionally until it cools down.

Strain. When the custard is cool to the touch (50°F or below) , strain it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any bits of egg yolk. (This step is optional, but will help ensure the smoothest ice cream possible.)

Cure. Transfer the cooled base to the refrigerator to cure for 4 hours, or preferably overnight. (This step is also optional, but the texture will be much improved with it.)

Churn. Place the base into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The ice cream is ready when it thickens into the texture of soft-serve ice cream and holds its shape, typically 20 to 30 minutes.

Harden. To freeze your custard ice cream in the American hard-pack style, immediately transfer it to a container with an airtight lid. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming, cover, and store it in your freezer until it hardens completely, between 4 and 12 hours. Or, feel free to enjoy your ice cream immediately; the texture will be similar to soft-serve.

TEXTURE AGENTS

Best texture Commercial stabilizer 3g | 1 teaspoon mixed with the sugar before it is added to the dairy.

Least icy Guar or xanthan gum 1g | ¼ teaspoon whirled in a blender with the custard base after it is chilled in the ice bath.

Easiest to use Tapioca starch 5g | 2 teaspoons mixed with 20g | 2 tablespoons of cold milk, whisked into the custard base after it is finished cooking.

Most accessible Cornstarch 10g | 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, mixed with 20g | 2 tablespoons of cold milk, whisked into the simmering dairy, then cooked for 1 minute.

fig. 1: Boil the dairy and sugar.

fig. 2: Temper the yolks.

fig. 3: Cook the custard.

fig. 4: Strain the custard, then cure.