While on vacation, we stumbled upon an ice cream shop in the Pearl District of Portland. Cool Moon Ice Cream. The ice cream is so good that it left us speechless and it raised the bar for what we are willing to eat. This happens in our life. For example, I do not order anything off a menu that I make at home because it will not be as good as what I make at home. Every. Single. Time. It can be frustrating when you wish to go out or when you are out, nothing is appealing on a menu.
When we got back home, I decided I needed to start making vanilla ice cream again. I am sometimes sensitive to eggs but I find it is the commercially raised chicken eggs I have problems with. If I pick them up from Mr. Hatterman, the egg man at the farmer's market, I can eat them.
I did some research on line, knowing I liked David Lebovitz The Perfect Scoop. I actually went to his web site and there was a vanilla ice cream recipe. I tweaked it just a touch and I will have to say the ice cream I made was very close to Cool Moon's. The recipe on his website and in his book (finally got it from the library) are just a bit different but both will work. This is something that will need to be a staple around here. I will also have to experiment with different flavors.
Vanilla Ice Cream
Adapted from David Lebovitz's website.
1 cup whole milk
a pinch of salt (about an 1/8 of a teaspoon or less)
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla paste
2 cups heavy whipping cream
5 egg yolks
Over low heat, heat the milk, salt, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.
In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.
Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Pour into a large coverable pyrex and put in the freezer. Stir with a wooden spoon every couple hours until frozen.
Welcome to yumminess. It is good plain, in a malt, and with chocolate sauce over the top.
My Beloved liked the pattern he made when he scooped the ice cream!