By Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 15 minutes, plus at least 4½ hours' chilling and freezing
- Rating
- 4(269)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Made without eggs, this ice cream is much less rich than those made with a custard base. The lack of eggs also allows the flavorings to shine through, making it a light in texture yet intense in taste. Using a combination of granulated sugar and liquid sugar (corn syrup, honey or agave syrup) helps keep the texture smooth and silky.
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Ingredients
Yield:1½ quarts
- 3cups heavy cream
- 1cup whole milk
- ½cup granulated sugar
- ½cup/167 grams light corn syrup or substitute ⅓ cup agave syrup or honey
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- Your choice of flavoring (see note)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
In a saucepan, combine cream, milk, sugar, corn syrup and salt, and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until sugar dissolves, then transfer mixture to a container and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
Step
2
Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and freeze until hard.
Tips
- Here are 16 ways to flavor your ice cream.
- Vanilla, Coffee, or Green Tea: If making vanilla ice cream, slice 2 vanilla beans in half lengthwise and scrape down the sides. Add seeds and pods. For coffee ice cream, add ½ cup whole coffee beans ground coarsely in a grinder or food processor. For green tea, add ¼ cup green tea leaves to the cold cream and milk mixture. Steep off the heat for 30 minutes before straining. Chill.
- Mint or Basil: In a food processor, pulse together 1 cup of clean and dry mint or basil leaves with ½ cup granulated sugar until pulverized and bright green. Use herb sugar instead of plain sugar to make the base. Steep off the heat for 30 minutes before straining. Chill.
- Cinnamon: Break a 4-inch-long cinnamon stick (preferably a fragrant variety like Ceylon or canela) into a food processor. Add ½ cup granulated sugar and pulse until finely ground. Use cinnamon sugar instead of plain sugar to make the base. Steep off the heat for 30 minutes before straining. Chill.
- Lemon or Lime: In a food processor, pulse together the zest of 3 lemons or limes with ½ cup granulated sugar until smooth and brightly colored. Use citrus sugar instead of plain sugar to make the base. Steep off the heat for 30 minutes before straining, and stir in the juice of 1 lemon or lime. Chill.
- Strawberry or Raspberry: Make the base without the milk. In a blender, purée 1 pound berries, 3 tablespoons sugar, ½ teaspoon lemon juice or balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt. Taste; add more sugar and/or lemon or vinegar if necessary. The purée should be on the sweet side, with some underlying tartness. Stir into the base before chilling. Strain before churning if using raspberries.
- Peach or Apricot: Pit and dice 1½ pounds peaches or apricots (no need to peel them). In a medium pot over medium heat, gently simmer fruit with ¼ cup sugar until fruit is tender, about 10 minutes. Purée in a food processor or blender. Make the base without the milk. Stir the purée into warm base, along with ½ cup crème fraîche and a few drops almond extract, if desired. Chill.
- Cherry: In a medium pot over medium heat, simmer 3 cups pitted cherries (from about 1 pound) with two to three tablespoons sugar (to taste) until cherries are very soft, about 10 minutes. Purée in a food processor or blender. Make the base without the milk. Stir the purée into the warm base, along with ½ cup crème fraîche and a few drops kirsch, if desired. Chill.
- Banana: In a blender, purée 4 very ripe medium bananas, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt until smooth. Make the base without the milk. Stir purée into warm base, along with ½ cup crème fraîche. Chill.
- Chocolate: In a small pot, bring ¾ cup cream and 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder to a simmer. Put 1 cup chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl. Pour hot cocoa cream over chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Make the base using ¾ cup cream and ¾ cup milk, ½ cup corn syrup, ⅓ cup sugar. Stir chocolate mixture, ¾ cup crème fraîche or sour cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into the base. Strain and chill.
- Chocolate Hazelnut: Make the base with 2½ cups milk, 1½ cups cream and 2 tablespoons corn syrup. Whisk 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella) and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into warm base. Chill.
- Salted Caramel: In a medium pot over medium heat, melt ¾ cup sugar with 3 tablespoons water, swirling pan frequently, until sugar turns mahogany brown in color (almost but not quite black). Continue making base in the same pot, using ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup corn syrup. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) into base during the last 2 minutes of churning.
- Butterscotch Bourbon: In a medium pot over medium heat, melt ½ cup sugar with 3 tablespoons water, swirling pan frequently, until sugar turns reddish brown in color. Stir in 1 tablespoon of bourbon before chilling.
- Almond: In a medium pot over medium heat, cook ½ cup sliced almonds with 2 tablespoons sugar (add a pinch of salt, if making nondairy version) until deep golden and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate; reserve. In the same pot, toast 1 cup sliced almonds until deep golden, 5 minutes. Proceed with base recipe in the same pot; let the mixture steep off the heat for 1 hour before straining (press down hard on the solids). Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract to base before chilling. Break reserved nuts into pieces, and add to the base during last 2 minutes of churning.
- Pistachio or Hazelnut: Make the base using 2½ cups milk and 1½ cup cream. Whisk 1 cup unsweetened pistachio or hazelnut paste and ¼ teaspoon almond extract into warm base. Chill.
- Peanut Butter: Make the base using 2½ cups milk, and 1½ cups cream. Whisk 1 cup natural smooth peanut butter and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract into warm base. Chill.
- Coconut: In a medium pot, toast ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut until deep golden, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate; reserve. In the same pot, toast 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut until deep golden, 5 minutes. Proceed with the base recipe in the same pot, using 2 cups cream, 1 cup milk and 1 cup coconut milk or cream. Let custard steep off the heat for 1 hour before straining (press down hard on the solids). Add reserved coconut to base during the last 2 minutes of churning.
Ratings
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out of 5
269
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Cooking Notes
Roxane
I've been making Philadelphia ice cream all my life, and I never heard of bothering with any of this. This basic method is all anyone needs: 1) Pour a quart of half-and-half into a pitcher or bowl. 2) Add sugar until it is just slightly "too sweet" to taste. (Cold masks sweetness, so it will taste just right when frozen). 3) Add vanilla, fruit, or whatever you want. Our favorite is peppermint -- but gently fold in the crushed candy after freezing in the ice cream maker.
Bernice Glenn
Three cups of heavy cream makes for a very rich eggless ice cream. I reduce the fat, by using half milk and half heavy cream. This works very well if you thicken the the mix by adding a cornstarch slurry and cook to thicken. Chill before processing in the machine. Sometimes I use only half of the heavy cream when heating the cornstarch-cream-milk mix and add it before processing. Then, I whip the saved cream to soft, and blend it in with the chilled mixture. This makes for softer ice cream.
Louise French
Old family recipe: 1 qt. strawberries, washed, hulled, mashed: 1 cup sugar, juice of half a lemon, let sit until sugar dissolved. 2 c. heavy cream, mix everything and freeze.
R
I made this as directed, with heavy cream. I found that when I took the chilled mixture out of the refrigerator, the cream had separated. I broke up the fatty layer on top as much as I could before pouring it into the ice cream freezer but I found that there were still lumps of fat in the finished ice cream. Any suggestions on how to avoid this? Thanks for any advice!
sundevilpeg
From the intro:"Using a combination of granulated sugar and liquid sugar (corn syrup, honey or agave syrup) helps keep the texture smooth and silky."Corn syrup has myriad uses in confectionery. This is one important one.
David
This base recipe will make a Philly Ice Cream that is 21 percent butterfat. That is much higher than any super premium ice cream sold today. Regular ice cream is typically 10-12 percent butterfat and super premium is anything at or over 16 percent butterfat. The problem with this recipe is that it has zero eggs or other emulsifiers to keep the buttefat suspended. Chilled and beaten during the freezing process is just another way to make butter in a churn.
Deborah
By "make the base without the milk", she means omit the milk from the base recipe and make it with the 3 C cream only. Then add the puree to the warmed cream mixture (no milk added), whisk in the creme fraiche, and chill the whole concoction overnight.
Jackie
For 1 quart:2c heavy cream2/3c milk66g sugar112g corn syrup1/4ish tsp salt
Nina Abnee
I made strawberry ice cream following the recipe exactly and used fresh strawberries. It was the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted. A huge hit. I’ve used other recipes but got more of a soft serve texture that was soup before my guests finished eating. The texture and flavor was fabulous. It didn’t take much churning time either. I’m going to make blueberries next. Thank you!
Allplains
Melissa- did I say thank you yet? We have our own black raspberries and I make this every summer. It’s sublime.
lauren h
Real pistachio ice cream.12 oz: unsalted pistachios: Shell and pinch off unsalted pistachios. Toast 3 oz in iron pan & save. Grind pistachios. Add to warm base. 1-2 tblsp pistachio oil. Add to warm base;Chill. Churn. Freeze.
lauren h
Real Pistachio Ice Cream, continued:Sprinkle roasted pistachios on top of ice cream servings. They get soggy pretty quickly if mixed into the base before churning or even after.
Jackie
For 1 quart:2c heavy cream2/3c milk66g sugar112g corn syrup1/4ish tsp salt
Kathryn
Delicious. I went with vanilla with this one, and had one oops—a tad extra salt—accidentally making this really addictive and similar to a great vanilla ice cream we had in Rehoboth Beach once. Easy recipe.
Shawn
This is a good recipe but DO NOT ADD THE SALT!!! I actually added slightly less than what the recipe calls for but it was still too salty. The salt overpowered everything else. Instead of corn syrup I used Trimoline (a.k.a. Simple Syrup). P. S. My flavor was Saffron Cardamom.
Deborah
Variation: Malted Banana Ice CreamOmit sugar from pureed bananas. Omit crème fraîche. Prepare base as directed, add puree to base. Add 1/2 C + 2 Tbs Carnation Malted Milk Powder (or equivalent) & blend with immersion blender. Chill as directed. Crazy good!
HW
I add da than gum, just about 1/4 tsp per quart to the base just before freezing in ice cream freezer.
egrace
How could I make a mango sorbet and a mango sherbet? No milk products preferred.
MsryPat948
Disappointed that recipes don’t tell you to stop churning at 21 degrees. Put into a pre-chilled container and place a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper on top of ice cream. Cover container and freeze.
Susan, Luxembourg
Made the banana version and just before churning added some crushed Maltesers.
Tom
Came out perfectly in my electric mixer, but take care—Honey is not a neutral substitute for corn syrup! It will distinctly change the flavor.
Deborah
The ice cream base is excellent. I thought the salted caramel variation needed the full 1/2 C corn syrup. The banana variation is enhanced by 1/2 C Carnation malted milk powder whisked into the base before simmering.
Sanam S.
With regards to banana or fruit ice creams, when she says to make the base without milk, can someone clarify? I get the purée with sugar, lemon and salt bit, but do I add the purée to the warmed milk after? And then let that whole mixture chill overnight?
Deborah
By "make the base without the milk", she means omit the milk from the base recipe and make it with the 3 C cream only. Then add the puree to the warmed cream mixture (no milk added), whisk in the creme fraiche, and chill the whole concoction overnight.
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