Vanilla Recipe

Warm dairy

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

Mix yolks and sugar

While the dairy warms, whisk 3 large egg yolks with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and a pinch of fine sea salt in a heatproof bowl until pale and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes.

Temper yolks

Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture in a thin stream while whisking constantly to temper. Then pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture, stirring constantly.

Cook custard

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

Finish with vanilla

Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract).

Chill

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits. Cover surface with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin) and chill in the refrigerator until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. This chilled custard is your frozen custard base.

Freeze (optional quick churn)

If you have a frozen custard or ice cream machine, churn according to manufacturer instructions until thick and spoonable (frozen custard is typically churned to a denser, creamier texture). Otherwise you can partially freeze the custard in a shallow container, stirring every 20–30 minutes until smooth and scoopable.

Soften custard slightly

Scoop 3 cups of prepared chilled vanilla frozen custard into a chilled blender jar or milkshake cup. If the custard is extremely hard, let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes so it softens slightly for easier blending.

Add milk and malt

Add 1 tablespoon whole milk and 2 teaspoons malted milk powder (if using) to the custard. The milk controls thickness; add a little more (up to 2 tablespoons) for a thinner shake.

Blend to texture

Blend on low pulses until the mixture is smooth and thick but pourable, roughly 10–20 seconds. Avoid over-blending which can make the shake too thin. If you prefer thicker, blend less; for thinner, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time.

Prepare glass

Chill your malt or milkshake glass in the freezer for a few minutes (optional) to keep the shake cold longer.

Serve

Pour the malted vanilla frozen custard shake into the chilled glass. Top with about 2 tablespoons whipped cream and a maraschino cherry if desired. Serve immediately with a long spoon or straw.

Yield depends on desired thickness. For a classic dense frozen custard experience, keep milk additions minimal. All ingredient components listed in Ingredients are used in the directions.