Day 72: Homemade Ice Cream (Attempt #2)

Ok, so after my disastrous attempt at homemade frozen yogurt yesterday, I was anxious to try again. I spent some time today googling and reading reviews of several recipes online and came up with what I thought would be a keeper.

Before I share my results with you, let me take a moment to explain my ice cream preferences so you understand where I am coming from. There are two different types of homemade ice cream. The first kind is a creamy custard that is made from mixing eggs, sugar, and cream together and heating the mixture until cooked, then cooling and freezing in an ice cream maker. The second kind is called Philadelphia, and is a quick recipe without using eggs so it doesn't have to be heated. Just combine the half & half, cream and sugar, pour into ice cream maker and churn and freeze. Honestly, I don't have the patience or desire to wait any longer for ice cream than the time it takes to churn it in the ice cream maker, so I go for the second option. Also, I like the texture and flavor of the quick recipe. It is more like an ice milk ice cream. I can get the creamy, custard type ice cream in the freezer section of any grocery store.

Anyway, I tried out the new Vanilla Ice Cream recipe and it was delicious! The reviews on it were mostly positive. The negative ones were because those commenters preferred a more creamy texture than this one provides. So, here is the basic vanilla recipe that can be adapted with different flavorings, fruits or candies to make numerous varieties.

Vanilla Ice Cream

Yield: 2 qts.

         14 one-half cup servings (156 calories each)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups half & half (can use regular or fat free)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 cups milk (whole, 2% or 1%)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions: 

1. Warm 1 cup of half & half in microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and whisk until dissolved.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to maker directions.

Notes:

• Using whole milk and regular half & half will result in a creamier ice cream.
• I used regular half & half with the heavy cream, but used 1% milk to save a little in the calorie area. It turned out great.
• Stay tuned when I share my Milky Way Ice Cream recipe later on. It is a favorite among my family. This Cuisinart Ice Cream maker might just make a monster out of me. I love it - it is so easy.