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Erin Jeanne McDowell
1281 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
1,281
45 minutes, plus overnight chilling
The Only Ice Cream Recipe You’ll Ever Need
Updated Oct. 17, 2023
- Total Time
- 20 minutes plus several hours’ cooling, chilling and freezing
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:About 1½ pints
- 2cups heavy cream
- 1cup whole milk
- ⅔cup granulated sugar
- ⅛teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6large egg yolks
- Your choice of flavoring (see note)
Preparation
- Step 1
In a small pot, simmer heavy cream, milk, sugar and salt until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream. Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).
- Step 2
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturers’ instructions. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer until needed.
Tip
- This recipe for ice cream base may be churned on its own, but it is meant to have flavors added. See the chart here for flavor options and directions for incorporating them into the base recipe.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
essjaebee
I'm sorry to disagree, but this is the only ice cream recipe you'll ever need:
2 cups heavy cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Add 1 tbl vanilla for vanilla, or add berries, nuts or whatever else you want. Mix well, freeze for at least 6 hours.
Judith Norman
I always add a touch of vodka to my homemade ice cream which slows the freezing process (I think) and prevents the ice cream from getting icy.
tiltingatwindmills
Stevia, to my palate, is a sure way to RUIN anything.
Mariah
I subbed the same measure of coconut milk for milk and coconut cream for the heavy cream. Delicious and lactose-free!!! Definitely a keeper. Thank you!
Ana
I used 3 yolks instead of 6, 1/2 cup of sugar instead of 2/3 cups of sugar and one vanilla bean instead of two.
Ice cream turned out very creamy and sweet, but not too sweet.
Nate
Overchurning in your ice cream maker or frozen KitchenAid attachment can cause the heavy cream to turn into butter. It will coat the spoon and taste a bit grainy and leave a greasy texture on your tongue.
Laura
If you use half and half in place of the milk and cream, it becomes rich but no longer overpoweringly rich.
kate
You don't ever have to throw away egg whites. They freeze well in plastic containers and are ready to use (after defrosting at room temp) for any recipe calling for them.
Jeannie
Six egg yolks seemed awfully dense. I used four plus one whole egg. It was luscious, velevety, delicious. I find a half cup sugar sufficient, but that's my personal taste.
Francesca
News flash: there's lots of research now that fat doesn't make you fat nor does it give you heart disease. It's the carbs that will do that to you.
David
Your end result will be a less creamy ice cream. Part of what makes a good ice cream super creamy is the small ice crystals in it. By allowing it to cool completely in the refrigerator prior to churning you are making sure that it freezes quickly, giving it little time to form large ice crystals.
Ana
I used a half cup of local honey instead of the sugar and when I churned it, i mixed in chopped up chunks of frozen baklava with a healthy dose of ground cinnamon.
Michael Shindler
This does make a very rich, tasty base, but it's far too custard-like for my taste. There's a ton of egg yolk in it and you can really taste that in the finished product, especially with lighter flavorings. It's a good recipe if that's what you're going after but this is not a serviceable "all-around" base, in my opinion.
spaustian
Terrific recipe. Today, coffee ice cream, which turned out just right.
2 Tb freshly ground coffee in with the milk, cream sugar. Strain through cheesecloth-lined strainer before proceeding with adding the eggs, though I guess I could have left a few flecks in and dispensed with the cheesecloth. Beautiful color, great flavor.
Nicole G.
This is the perfect ice cream base. I have used it for vanilla chocolate chip and coconut ice cream flavors and both came out with rich flavors and exactly what I was looking for in ice cream. I do sometimes change the weight of cream and milk to 1 1/2 C and 1 1/2 C, the flavor is still spot on but it is a little lighter and slightly less rich.
Cookie García
Easy enough to make....I'll see how it tastes tomorrow! ;')
Rhinegold
We made this recipe for the first time yesterday, using the recipe and the adaptation for fresh berries, we used juicy fat boysenberries. this was spectacular, a huge yummy freezer full of goodness, we served with berries on top
GG
This ice cream was outstanding, I used freshly toasted blanched almonds and quality maraschino cherries halved along with some of the boozy syrup as the flavors, this will become a standard. Served with a cherry on top and a drizzle of syrup of course.
RDV
Delicious ice cream. Big hit with my husband who is a vanilla ice cream fanatic. Used a high quality vanilla paste the 2nd time around because it's easier than fussing with vanilla beans. We did not notice a difference in taste.
ar
People saying use 4 yolks all over these notes
Margaret Reed
Excellent. Churned with my Kitchen Aid ice cream maker attachment for 20 or 25 minutes. This froze beautifully into easy scooping deliciousness. Wasn't grainy. I followed the recipe to the letter. Next time I will try adding flavors. I served this with chocolate syrup, chopped peanuts, and cherries.
Pamela
What's the point of pouring the mixture through a sieve? Can I skip that step?
suzy-q
absolutely not if you are using eggs to make a custard. otherwise you will have gross little pieces of the overcooked parts of the eggs and the small bits of the whites that don't separate from the yolks. it is not hard really. just use a strainer, don't worry about having to make a mess w cheesecloth or similar. my dogs like to lick the pot and the stuff from the strainer.
Peggy
I have been making custard style ice cream for 20 years, about once a week. I mix the eggs in at the beginning with the sugar, whisk with other ingredients and heat until over 160 and never have bits of egg. The sieve is only necessary you add the eggs to a warm mixture.
Michael S.
With six eggs, this recipe is extremely heavy and rich, and has a pronounced eggy flavor that overwhelms when made as a simple vanilla ice cream (or fruit flavor). It's really a frozen egg custard and not what I think most people would consider a standard ice cream base. It's much improved by using just two or three eggs and adding 2-3 tbsp. nonfat milk powder (and a touch more milk/cream to make up for lost liquid, if necessary), which bulks it up without adding excessive egg flavor.
Cookie García
I wish this wasn't at the bottom of the page. I already did the 6-yolk method. :-)
Andrew
For it being a master recipe, not one of the suggested flavor recipes use that master recipe as written. Each is unique.
Peggy
I've used a similar base for many years. There is no need to temper the eggs or strain: just mix well with the sugar at room temperature then whisk in the liquids and heat. Regardless of whether I use whole eggs or just yolks, there's never bits of egg in the finished product.
Harry Haff
Good formula but I had better luck with a mix of ½ heavy cream and ½ skim milk, which gives the butterfat content around 16-18%. This was light cream before dairies started that awful ½ and ½. This texture on the recipe is luxurious bit for me a little over the top.
The Real Full Name
Eggless ice cream (Pros - Cremodan30 1 scant tsp) 2 1/2 cups milk 3/4 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch 2/3 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 4 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 tablespoons light corn syrup Heat and whisk well while cooking medium heat About 25 minutes will bring to boil for 4 minutes. You want consistency of a custard sauce. Chill then use in machine Or Ninja Creami freeze and process. Best ice cream then respin.
CatskillsCook
I put everything into my Vitamix until it reaches 170 (about five minutes). I let it cool a bit before putting it into my refrigerator. A lot easier and much less mess!
suzy-q
i make ice cream regularly and my base recipe: 1.5C cream, 1.5C milk, does not matter if full fat or non-fat, any milk will do. 3-4 egg yolks, approx 2/3C sugar. i always add 1/4c rum or vodka. (if coffee, kahlua or tia maria. the combinations are endless). if i make lemon gelato, my specialty, i decrease milk by 1/2C and add 1/2C lemon juice instead. this also applies for fruit base ice cream, less milk, more fruit. but here, the alcohol is necessary, or the ice cream will freeze hard.
Gia
Here is the "missing link" to the addl recipes. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/01/dining/the-master-ice-cream-recipe.html?smid=url-share
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