French Vanilla Recipe
Make French Vanilla Recipe in just 6h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Base
Custard (Egg Yolks & Flavor)
Optional Finishing
Method
Base
- 1
Warm milk and cream
In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon invert sugar (or light corn syrup) and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the milk mixture; add the pod as well. Warm over medium heat until steam appears and small bubbles form at the edge (do not boil), about 5–7 minutes.
- 2
Infuse and remove from heat
Once steaming, remove the pan from heat and let the mixture steep with the vanilla bean for 20–30 minutes to deepen flavor. If using vanilla paste, stir it in after removing from heat and skip the steep time.
Custard (Egg Yolks & Flavor)
- 3
Temper egg yolks
While the milk steeps, place 6 large egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk lightly to break them up. After steeping, slowly pour about 1 cup of the warm milk mixture into the yolks in a thin stream while whisking constantly to temper the yolks and raise their temperature without scrambling.
- 4
Cook custard to nappe
Return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Place over low–medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula and scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon (nappe), about 6–8 minutes. The mixture should reach about 170–175°F (77–80°C) if using a thermometer; do not let it boil.
- 5
Strain and cool
Remove from heat. Remove and discard the vanilla bean pod. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits for an ultra-smooth gelato. Stir in 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Prepare an ice bath (2 cups cold water with a few ice cubes in a larger bowl) and place the bowl with the strained custard into the ice bath. Stir occasionally until the custard reaches room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- 6
Chill
Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Chilling improves texture and flavor.
Churning & Finishing
- 7
Optional alcohol
If using, stir 1 teaspoon vodka into the chilled custard just before churning. This lowers freezing point slightly and helps scoopability without noticeable flavor.
- 8
Churn
Following your ice cream maker manufacturer's instructions, churn the chilled custard in the machine until it reaches a soft-serve gelato consistency, about 20–30 minutes depending on your machine. Gelato is typically denser than ice cream; do not overrun it with air.
- 9
Freeze to set
Transfer the churned gelato into a shallow airtight container, smoothing the surface. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to minimize ice crystals. Freeze for at least 2–4 hours to firm up to scoopable consistency. For best texture, allow the gelato to sit at room temperature 5–10 minutes before scooping.