Homemade ice cream is absolutely delicious and a great summer treat.
Best of all, it's easy to make - and you don't need an ice cream-maker to do it. Here's how...
At a glance
- You don't need an ice cream maker to make ice cream
- Custard is the most traditional base you can use
- Egg-free ice cream is great for pregnant mums
Make a custard base
There are several ways to make homemade ice cream, but starting with a custard base is the most traditional. For this, you’ll need:
- Whipping cream
- Whole milk
- Egg yolks
- Caster sugar
- Vanilla extract or pods.
The exact amounts will depend on how much you want to make.
Method:
- To make the base, heat the milk, cream and vanilla extract until it’s almost boiling, then take it off the heat. If you leave it for 20 minutes or so, the vanilla flavour will have the chance to infuse
- Beat the sugar and eggs until they thicken, then pour the milk mixture onto them. Put it back on the heat and stir the custard for about 10 minutes until it’s quite thick
- Strain the mixture into a bowl through a sieve and put the bowl in a larger bowl of iced water
- Let the custard cool completely, then put it in a covered container in the fridge for at least 4 hours
- At this point, you can usually put the mixture into your ice cream-maker if you’ve got one – follow the manufacturer’s instructions to make sure get it just right
- If you haven’t got an ice cream maker, get the ice cream out of the fridge and stir it. Put it in the freezer for half an hour, then get it out and stir it again, breaking up the ice crystals. Repeat this every half hour 3 times, then freeze for at least an hour before you serve.
Homemade ice cream without eggs
Many pregnant women avoid eggs, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on homemade ice cream if you’re expecting. For egg-free ice cream, you’ll need:
- Caster sugar
- Whipping cream
- Vanilla extract.
Method:
Combine the ingredients, then put them in the freezer in a covered container. Get the mixture out every half-hour 3 times and give it a good stir, before leaving it to set for another hour.
Adding flavour to your homemade ice cream
Don’t fancy vanilla? You can add other flavours, like lemon or orange, to your ice cream at the custard stage, once the custard has cooled or after the first time you refrigerate it. And don't forget to smother it in a topping sauce when it's ready to serve.