Quart Recipe

Warm and dissolve

In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, and sugar. Warm over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is hot but not boiling (steam rising and small bubbles at the edge), about 5–7 minutes.

Add stabilizer (optional)

If using powdered milk and cornstarch, whisk the powdered milk into the warm mixture until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp cold milk) into the warm milk mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes until it slightly thickens. Remove from heat.

Finish base

Stir in the vanilla extract and sea salt. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired. Let the mixture cool to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes), then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator until fully cold, at least 2 hours or overnight for best texture.

Churn

Once the base is thoroughly chilled, churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency (generally 20–30 minutes).

Fold in add-ons

Prepare a clean 1-quart airtight container. Choose one or a combination of the add-ons. Gently fold the chosen add-ons into the churned ice cream: for chocolate, fold in chopped dark chocolate or chips; for nuts, fold in toasted nuts; for fruit, swirl in the strawberry compote; for caramel, ripple in caramel sauce; for cookies, fold in crumbles; for coffee flavor, whisk cooled espresso into the churned ice cream before folding any solids. Fold just until evenly distributed, avoiding overmixing to keep texture.

Harden

Transfer the ice cream to the quart container, smoothing the top. Press a piece of parchment or plastic wrap directly on the surface to minimize ice crystals, seal with the lid, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Chopped chocolate: Roughly chop chocolate and freeze for 10 minutes before folding in to keep shards distinct and prevent melting.

Toasted nuts: Toast nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant and lightly browned, 4–6 minutes. Cool completely before chopping and folding in.

Strawberry compote: Use a drained compote or macerated berries; fold in sparingly (about 1/2 cup) to create swirls without making the base too soft.

Caramel: Warm caramel slightly so it pours, then spoon in ribbons and lightly swirl with a knife before freezing.

Cookies: Pulse cookies into uneven crumbles for texture; fold in at the end to preserve crunch.

Coffee: Add 2 tbsp cooled espresso to the chilled base and whisk before churning for even coffee flavor; reduce added sugar by 1 tbsp if you prefer less sweetness.