Recipe: Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream and Easy Vanilla Ice Cream with 10 Variations

OLD FASHIONED VANILLA ICE CREAM

3/4 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups whole milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In heavy saucepan, combine sugar, salt, and milk. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until mixture is steaming. Reduce heat to low.

In medium bowl, slightly beat eggs. Slowly whisk half of the hot mixture into the eggs and pour back into saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until slightly thick, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and refrigerate until chilled or overnight.

When ready to freeze, stir in heavy cream and vanilla into the chilled custard mixture. Start ice cream maker and pour mixture through hole in lid. Freeze until desired consistency or the unit stops.

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EASY VANILLA ICE CREAM

1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients, mixing well.

Start the ice cream machine and pour mixture through hole in lid. Freeze until desired consistency or unit stops.

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VARIATIONS

The following variations can be used with either of the Vanilla Ice Cream recipes above.

Black Forest:
Stir 1/2 cup chocolate syrup and 1 can (161/2-ounce) pitted Bing cherries, drained and halved, into ice cream after the machine has been churning 15 minutes.

Chocolate-Covered Peanut:
Stir 1/2 cup chocolate syrup and 1 cup (7 ounces) chocolate-covered peanuts into ice cream after the machine has been churning 15 minutes.

Cookies and Cream:
Reduce sugar to 1/2 cup. Break 15 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies into small pieces; stir into ice cream after the machine has been churning 15 minutes.

Orange-ade Ice Cream:
Add 1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted, into ice cream after the machine has been churning 15 minutes.

Mint-Chocolate Chip:
Stir 1 teaspoon of mint extract in place of vanilla. Finely chop 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips into ice cream after the machine has been churning 15 minutes. Add 4 drops of green food color (optional).

Peanut Butter:
Stir 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter into ice cream mixture.

Strawberry-Banana:
Stir 3 bananas, mashed; 1 pint strawberries, coarsely chopped; and 3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans into ice cream after the machine has been churning 15 minutes.

Double Almond Chocolate:
Finely chop 2 ounces semisweet chocolate squares. Replace vanilla extract with almond extract. Chop 1 cup of almonds and add into ice cream after the machine has been churning 15 minutes.

Cookie Dough:
Cut up 1 cup refrigerated cookie dough (raw) into small pieces and drop into mixture through the food chute after the machine has been churning 15 minutes.

Banana Pudding:
Add 1/2 cup mashed bananas (about 3) into ice cream after the machine has been churning 15 minutes. Stir in 10 crushed vanilla wafers into ice cream when ice cream has finished making.

Source: Hamilton Beach