House – Made Ice Cream Recipe

Warm milk and cream

In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup whole milk and 2 cups heavy cream. Warm over medium heat until it begins to steam and small bubbles form at the edge (do not boil), about 5–7 minutes.

Whisk sugar and yolks

While the milk warms, whisk 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 4 egg yolks in a heatproof bowl until pale and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes.

Temper the yolks

Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk/cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to raise the yolks' temperature (tempering). Then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk/cream, stirring constantly.

Cook to custard

Cook the mixture over low–medium heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or spatula, scraping the bottom, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon and registers 170–175°F (77–80°C) or about 6–8 minutes. Do not let it boil.

Strain and cool

Remove from heat and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Stir in 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Chill thoroughly

Refrigerate the custard until fully chilled, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. Chilling improves texture and flavor melding.

Prepare fruit purée

If using fresh fruit purée: cook 1 cup fruit (berries or stone fruit) with 1–2 tablespoons sugar over medium heat until softened, then purée and strain if desired. Cool completely in the refrigerator.

Melt or temper chocolate

If using chocolate: chop 4 oz chocolate and melt gently in a heatproof bowl over simmering water or microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring between bursts until smooth. Cool slightly before folding into custard, or whisk 2–3 tablespoons cocoa into a few tablespoons of warm custard to incorporate.

Toast nuts and prepare inclusions

Toast 1/2 cup nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 4–6 minutes, shaking the pan. Cool then chop. Crush cookies or cake to 3/4 cup. Measure jams, caramels, or ganaches for swirls.

Fold base and flavors

Stir any liquid flavoring (fruit purée up to 1 cup, 1 tablespoon liquor, or melted chocolate) into the chilled custard until uniform. For spiced flavors, whisk 1/2 teaspoon ground spice into a small amount of warm custard to bloom then combine. Taste and adjust sweetness or salt; add up to 1–2 tablespoons sugar if needed, or additional 1/4 teaspoon salt for balance.

Churn the ice cream

Pour the flavored chilled custard into a pre-chilled ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency (typically 20–30 minutes).

Add solids near the end

With the ice cream maker running or in the last 2–4 minutes of churning, add 1/2 cup toasted chopped nuts, 3/4 cup crushed cookies, or other solid inclusions so they distribute evenly without being pulverized.

Layer swirls and finish

Spoon half of the churned ice cream into a shallow freezer-safe container, dollop half of 1/2 cup jam or caramel and some chopped chocolate as desired, swirl gently with a spatula, then top with the remaining ice cream and repeat with remaining sauce for ribbons.

Harden in freezer

Cover the container tightly and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight, for best scoopability and texture.

Serve

Remove the ice cream from the freezer 5–10 minutes before scooping to soften slightly. Serve in bowls or cones and finish with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt if using.