The key to ensuring a firm yet creamy and smooth texture in homemade ice cream is to get the right amount of air incorporated into it, whether you are using a machine or doing it manually. This means that you should remember to thoroughly whisk the cream and egg yolks, making delicious air bubbles and creating that light and airy texture. As such, it is important to make sure that the mixture of the two ingredients becomes light and fluffy. A thick custard base will make for an airier ice cream.
Secondly, stirring the ice cream quite vigorously about every 30-45 minutes 4-5 times during freezing incorporates even more air bubbles into the mixture. This helps ensure that the ice cream becomes airy and creamy. Make sure to scrape the edges of the mould every time you stir. This way the entire mixture is stirred every time, making the texture even.
Making a delicious, ice-cold, and refreshing treat is simple, and below, you can learn much more about making the perfect homemade ice cream by reading our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the frozen delight.
Egg yolks
|
4 |
---|---|
Sugar (approx. 1 dl)
|
85 g |
Double cream
|
½ l |
Split vanilla pod
|
1 |
A delicious and creamy homemade ice cream does not contain many ingredients – just cream, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla. Beaten egg yolks ensure the soft and creamy texture as well as the rich flavour of an old-fashioned ice cream. They do so by leveraging the butterfat in the cream and giving the mixture a fuller texture less likely to become icy. This is why most artisan and old-fashioned ice cream recipes include eggs. Using egg in an ice cream base also improves its stability after it has been frozen which makes the cold dessert less likely to melt before you have a chance to enjoy it.
If you are looking for other homemade ice cream-based desserts to impress friends and family, try having a look at our recipes for vanilla ice cream with plums and buckwheat brittle or a classic French parfait ice cream.
Whether or not it is hot outside, delighting in an ice cream dessert is something that most people across generations can get behind. Making your own creamy ice cream from scratch is sure to impress everyone. Plus, when they are homemade, they taste fresher and more flavourful store-bought ice creams. In addition, the frozen delicacy can either be enjoyed as it is or paired with other homemade treats like our plum pie, pancakes, or Belgian waffles.
Whether or not you have an ice cream maker at home, you can make delicious homemade ice cream. Using machine can make the process quite quick and easy. Letting the cooled mixture churn away in an ice cream maker for 20-45 minutes means that you do not have to continually stir it while it freezes over several hours.
Without a machine, simply follow our ice cream recipe and remember to stir at regular intervals as it freezes for about 3-4 hours. This is very important to remember as it will help make your ice cream's texture creamy and airy.
There is no limit to the kind of flavour combinations you can add to our recipe for ice cream. This means that you can vary and customise it in a multitude of ways to suit your preferences. Below, we have included a curated selection of options for ice cream recipes with popular flavours.
There is a reason why chocolate ice cream is a favourite with many. The complex, rich flavours that a dark chocolate adds to a creamy old-fashioned ice cream are nothing short of mouth-watering. If dark chocolate is a tad too bitter for your taste, using a lighter variety like milk chocolate is, of course, also possible. Experiment with adding 150 grams of chopped chocolate to discover which kind might create your favourite chocolate ice cream flavour.
A more adult take on a classic homemade ice cream is to add 100 ml of espresso to the ice cream base to make a coffee ice cream. Coffee has a natural sweetness and a deep, intense flavour. Its earthy aroma has a slight bitterness and a refreshing acidity that pairs well with the richness of an old-fashioned ice cream with cream and egg yolks. Coffee may range in flavour from nutty to fruity so just like chocolate variations, you can experiment with finding your perfect coffee type.
Using fresh fruit for ice cream is also an option with a lot of different possibilities to explore. Making fruit-flavoured ice cream may be a great way to use super-ripe, sweet fruits like banana or peach. For a more tart and fresh fruit ice cream, experiment with adding lemon or orange juice or using exotic fruits like pineapple or mango that may add a bit more tanginess. Adding 400 grams of fruit purée to your ice cream base will make for a flavourful, fruity treat.
A classic ice cream combination is cookie dough ice cream. Simply add some cookie dough pieces to the mixture before putting it in the mould. You can use our recipe for chocolate chip cookies to make the dough. This will give you some beautiful chewy bits of cookie dough in the ice cream.