Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Some time ago, the F got me the ice cream attachment for my beloved KitchenAid Classic Plus Stand Mixer, and it changed my life.  Not in any cerebral way, just in the way that now I can eat homemade ice cream, a joy which I had rarely experienced in years prior, and certainly not ever experienced in my own kitchen.

Homemade ice cream is easy.  It takes time, yes, but there is very little skill involved.  Very little skill and a lot of egg yolks.

I pulled this recipe for standard vanilla ice cream right from my KitchenAid Best-Loved Recipes cookbook (and added a little extra vanilla):

2 1/2 cups half and half
8 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Place egg yolks and sugar in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and wire whip to mixer. Turn to Speed 2 and mix about 30 seconds, or until well blended and slightly thickened.

Continuing on Speed 2, very gradually add half-and-half (your eggs will curdle if you don't do this SLOWLY, peeps!!!); mix until blended. Return half-and-half mixture to medium saucepan; cook over medium heat until small bubbles form around edge and mixture is steamy, stirring constantly. Do not boil.

Transfer half-and-half mixture into large bowl; stir in whipping cream, vanilla, and salt. Cover and chill thoroughly, at least 8 hours.

Assemble and engage freeze bowl, dasher, and drive-body interface. Turn to STIR Speed (Speed 1). Using a container with a spout, pour mixture into freeze bowl. Continue on STIR (Speed 1) for 15 to 20 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. Immediately transfer ice cream into serving dishes, or freeze in an airtight container.

I made the ice cream on Christmas Eve, and we had it on Christmas day with truffle brownies (more on those on Tuesday).  I had no idea that making plain old vanilla ice cream (my favorite, by the way) would be so easy and rewarding.  But I can tell you that I'll never go back to store-bought!

I am quite certain that a nude, leather, peep-toe pump is the shoe equivalent of classic vanilla ice cream.

 Jimmy Choo via Neiman Marcus

Because I am now making a habit out of homemade, classic vanilla ice cream, I may have to make a habit of these, as well.