Ice Cream Recipe

Warm milk and cream

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and salt. Split a vanilla bean and scrape seeds into the pan (or add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract). Warm over medium heat until just steaming and sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Do not boil.

Temper egg yolks

In a medium bowl, whisk 3 large egg yolks until smooth. Slowly pour about 1/3 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper. Then slowly whisk the tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.

Cook custard

Return saucepan to low-medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not let it boil or the eggs may scramble.

Strain and chill

Remove from heat and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits and vanilla pod pieces. If making chocolate or coffee, proceed to the flavoring steps now while the mixture is hot. Let the custard cool slightly (5–10 minutes), then cover and chill in the refrigerator until completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Add chopped 4 oz chocolate and 1 tsp cocoa powder to the hot custard immediately after straining. Let sit 1 minute, then whisk until smooth and fully incorporated. If needed, return to low heat briefly while stirring to fully melt chocolate. Once smooth, proceed to chill the custard as described above.

Stir 1/2 cup very strong brewed espresso (or strong coffee) and 1 tsp instant espresso powder into the hot strained custard. Taste and adjust: add up to another 1/4 cup brewed coffee or 1/2 tsp instant powder for more coffee intensity. Chill completely before churning.

If you used vanilla seeds in the initial warm step, no further steps are needed. If using extract instead of seeds, stir it into the hot custard before chilling. Chill completely before churning.

Once the custard is thoroughly chilled, pour it into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency (usually 20–30 minutes). Transfer churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze at least 2–4 hours to firm up before scooping. For a firmer texture, freeze overnight.

Prepare batter

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. In a bowl, whisk together 6 tablespoons melted butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 large egg whites, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and slightly glossy. Batter should be thin and spreadable.

Bake thin cookies

Drop teaspoonfuls or spread ~2 tablespoon rounds of batter into very thin 3–4 inch circles on the prepared sheets, leaving room to spread. Bake one sheet at a time for 8–10 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Watch closely — edges brown quickly.

Shape into cones

Immediately after removing a sheet from the oven, use a thin spatula to lift a cookie and quickly wrap it around a small cone mold or form into a cone shape over a rolling pin (use a towel to protect hands). If the cookie cools and cracks, warm briefly to make pliable. Place formed cones seam-side down to cool and harden. Repeat until you have 4 cones. Leftover baked tuiles can be stored in an airtight container for 1–2 days.

Scoop: Remove ice cream from freezer about 5 minutes before serving to soften slightly. Using a warm ice cream scoop (dip in hot water and dry), place two generous scoops into each cookie tuile cone.

Present: Serve immediately. Keep remaining ice cream stored in an airtight container in the freezer.