WEEK 7 WILDCARD WINNER

Foolproof Ice Cream

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Photography by Melanie Einzig

    BY TAMMY | MAKES ABOUT 1¼ QUARTS

A&M: In her headnote, Tammy explained: “After making a number of ice cream recipes that did not turn out well, I dug into the ‘science’ of making ice cream at home.” When we first read the recipe, we were slightly put off by the use of temperatures to determine doneness, as we tend to rely on sight and feel when it comes to making ice cream. When the method, which she adapted from an old Cook’s Illustrated book, worked perfectly, we conceded that these details are really helpful for people who don’t have much experience with custards—so get out your candy thermometer! Tammy’s recipe makes a flawless, fragrant, and not-too-sweet vanilla ice cream, and she gives you the option to add your own flavors in the last step.

    1½ cups whole milk

    1½ cups heavy cream

    ¾ cup sugar

    4 egg yolks

    1 vanilla bean, split

  1. Gently heat the milk and cream with half the sugar in a small saucepan to 175°F. (Use a candy thermometer!)
  2. Meanwhile, beat the yolks with the remaining sugar for at least 2 minutes with an electric mixer (or 4 minutes with a whisk) until pale yellow.
  3. Slowly pour a small amount of the heated milk-cream-sugar mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly as you pour.
  4. Whisk the thinned egg yolks back into the saucepan containing the remaining milk, cream, and sugar.
  5. Scrape the insides of the vanilla bean into the saucepan.
  6. Heat the custard to 180°F, stirring constantly and making sure the egg doesn’t start to scramble. The custard should thicken considerably.
  7. Pour the cooked custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a container.
  8. Chill the custard to 40°F or lower. (I usually make the custard right before I go to sleep so it can chill in my refrigerator overnight.)
  9. Churn the custard in your ice cream maker for 30 minutes, or until frozen. If you have any add-ins, stir them into the ice cream in the last 30 seconds.
  10. Put the ice cream in the freezer in an airtight container for 2 to 4 hours to harden completely.
  11. Thirty minutes before serving, transfer the ice cream from the freezer to the fridge to soften a little.

    TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

    Tammy wrote: “The recipe is for vanilla, but you can adapt it to make lots of different flavors.” After tasting the vanilla, we decided to play around, folding in 1/3 teaspoon strong peppermint extract (we used Boyajian), 10 finely chopped spearmint leaves, and 6 ounces finely chopped dark chocolate. Not to sound immodest, but it was some of the best mint chocolate chip ice cream we’ve ever had.

    ABOUT THE COOK

    Tammy is a technologist from New York. She has a crafting and cooking blog called TAH Handmade (www.tahhandmade.com).

        Her kitchen pet peeve: “Dirty dishes sitting in the sink.”