Ice Cream Trio Recipe

Infuse milk and cream

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape the seeds into the milk/cream and add the pod (or stir in 1 tbs pure vanilla extract later). Warm over medium heat until just steaming — do not boil.

Whisk yolks and sugar

In a bowl, whisk 3 egg yolks with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar until pale and slightly thickened.

Temper and thicken custard

Remove vanilla pod. Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper. Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon and reaches about 170–175°F (use visual cue: it thickens slightly). Do not boil.

Finish and chill

Remove from heat, stir in a pinch of salt and, if using vanilla extract, add it now. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (at least 3 hours or overnight).

Churn

Churn chilled custard in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency (usually 20–30 minutes).

Harden

Transfer to a shallow container, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent ice crystals, and freeze at least 2 hours to firm up.

Warm dairy and bloom cocoa

In a saucepan, whisk together 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Warm over medium heat until steaming and the cocoa is dissolved.

Melt chocolate

Remove from heat and add 2 oz finely chopped bittersweet chocolate. Stir until fully melted and smooth. Let mixture cool slightly.

Whisk yolks and temper

Whisk 3 egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly add about 1/3 of the warm chocolate milk into the yolks while whisking to temper, then return mixture to the saucepan.

Cook custard

Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170–175°F). Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in a pinch of salt.

Chill and churn

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any bits, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until fully chilled (3 hours or overnight). Churn in an ice cream maker per manufacturer instructions until soft-serve consistency (20–30 minutes).

Harden

Transfer to a shallow container, press plastic wrap onto the surface, and freeze for at least 2 hours to firm up.

Make simple syrup

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar with a pinch of salt. Heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Prepare fruit purée

Place 2 cups prepared seasonal fruit in a blender or food processor. Add the cooled simple syrup and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Puree until completely smooth. Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice if needed — sweetness should be slightly brighter than you want since freezing dulls flavor.

Strain (optional)

For a silky sorbet, press the purée through a fine sieve to remove seeds or fibrous bits (useful for berries or stone fruit).

Chill and churn or freeze

Chill the purée until cold (30–60 minutes). Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until the sorbet is set (15–20 minutes). If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour into a shallow metal pan, freeze, and stir vigorously every 30 minutes until smooth and set (3–4 cycles).

Harden

Transfer sorbet to a container, cover, and freeze for at least 1 hour to firm before serving.

When ready to serve, run a scoop or two of water in a bowl (hot, not boiling). Dip your ice cream scoop briefly into the hot water, shake off, and form even scoops of vanilla, chocolate and sorbet into bowls or a shared dish for the trio presentation.

Garnish each scoop as desired: vanilla with a vanilla bean scrap or mint, chocolate with chocolate shavings, sorbet with a few fresh berries or a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.