King’s Dairy Ice Cream Recipe

Warm the dairy

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups whole milk, 2 cups heavy cream, 1 tablespoon whole milk powder (if using), 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Split a vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape seeds and add both seeds and pod to the pan (or omit bean if using extract later). Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot and just steaming — do not boil (about 170°F / 75°C).

Hold warm

Once hot, reduce heat to low to keep the mixture warm while you temper the egg yolks (or remove from heat and set aside with the vanilla pod).

Whisk yolks and sugar

In a heatproof bowl, whisk 5 large egg yolks with 1 cup granulated sugar until the mixture becomes pale and slightly thickened (about 2–3 minutes).

Temper the yolks

Slowly ladle about 1 cup of the hot milk/cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to raise their temperature without scrambling. Continue adding hot liquid gradually until about half to two-thirds of the dairy is incorporated and the yolks are warm.

Cook the custard

Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot dairy. Cook gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula and scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (registers about 170–175°F / 77–80°C) and leaves a clear line when you run your finger across the spoon.

Strain and chill

Remove from heat. If you used a vanilla pod, remove and discard the pod. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits. Stir in 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (if not using a bean) and 1 tablespoon bourbon or rum if using. Place the bowl in an ice bath and stir occasionally until the custard reaches room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Churn the ice cream

When the custard is thoroughly chilled, set up your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Pour the custard into the frozen machine bowl and churn until it reaches a soft-serve consistency (typically 20–30 minutes, depending on machine).

Add mix-ins and firm

If using mix-ins (toasted nuts, chocolate chips, etc.), fold them in during the last 2–3 minutes of churning. Transfer the churned ice cream to a chilled, airtight container, smooth the top, press a piece of parchment directly onto the surface to prevent ice crystals, and freeze for at least 4 hours to firm.

Serve

Scoop the ice cream into bowls or cones. If very firm from the freezer, let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly for easier scooping.