I scream You scream...
Our office had a homemade ice cream contest this week. After the early summer flooding and the stuff that we got in our basement. (Not that deep, but we tore out carpeting since we hadn't had flooding before this in the 5 years we have been there) Anywho, I found not one but two ice cream makers. One was a hand-me-down from MIL and the other was one that Brian and I picked up at a garage sale at the local Elks club. In the original box with everything still in plastic and because it was the last hour of the sale, I got it for half price. So a basically new machine for $5.
I decided to go with strictly vanilla and to use a recipe that I had tried for book club last month. Because the recipe only made about a third of the container of ice cream (about 4 servings), I tripled the recipe and it still didn't hit the fill line.
There were 5 contestants. Three were plain vanilla. One guy did a strawberry banana one that was really good. And the last year's winner did one that had lemon in it.
Interestingly, I came in second by two votes. And mostly because mine was not a custard based ice cream. But everyone that I talked to - if they voted for the winner - said that it was a really close second. I think because most people are use to that custard base for homemade ice cream.
This is the "almost winning" recipe. I nicked it earlier this summer from Food Network and it isn't on there any more. One of the limited time only things.
The recipe was from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. I made notes of where I changed it.
3 cups heavy cream (when tripled this and it was basically 2 quarts of AE whipping cream and about 2 Tbsp half-n-half)
2/3 cup sugar (tripled this. Okay, just used my 2/3 cup three times so no math was used)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (easy tripled)
1 vanilla bean (when tripled I used only 2 beans, but they were good ones.)
Heat cream, sugar, vanilla, and vanilla beans in a pan only until sugar is dissolved. be sure the sugar is dissolved - you will no longer feel any grittiness if you rub some cream between your fingers. (On a medium low heat, this takes about 5-10 minutes) Strain into a bowl or container. (or just remove the beans and pour into the container. This is where I cut open the beans and scrap the seeds out with a knife into the cream.) Cover the container and chill very well. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's directions. Spoon into a freezer container when done (or cover top of ice cream with plastic wrap or wax paper) and chill in freezer for a few hours or overnight. Allow to soften slightly before serving.
If I was really wanting to impress, I would have gone and got the local creamery cream. But I used my good vanilla and the two Madagascar vanilla beans from Penzey's. Yummy. Only two people said that there was some strange aftertaste. One discribed it as a marshmallow flavor afterwards. (Marshmallow???Wha?)
Maybe before the weekend is over, I will mix up a batch of the other ice cream that I was thinking of trying. Honey-Lavendar ice cream. (Too high-brow for my office.)