Vanilla Ice Cream

Vanilla Ice Cream

Lat week, I finally walked into the AllSpice in the East Village in Des Moines, Iowa. I've had bottles of their balsamic vinegar, Tuscan Herb Olive Oil, and Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar at my house for a while--gifts from others. Everyone has told me I need to check the store out, and last week I finally did it. What a wonderful place! I usually get spices from Penzy's, but I like AllSpice because it has some unique things--including this vanilla paste. Interestingly, they also have these vats of various balsamic vinegars and olive oils with these tiny little cups into which you can pour little samples. The Blood Orange Olive Oil is next on my wish list. I'm trying to only do a little at a time.
At any rate, I used the vanilla paste (see below) first in the Refrigerator Toffee Shortbread Cookies. Yum. Next I just had to make some vanilla ice cream with it. I got the recipe from A Family Feast via Pinterest. I changed the eggs in the original recipe from 4 egg yolks to 1 whole egg and 2 yolks because in the past, the vanilla ice cream recipes that call for all egg yolks tend to taste too eggy for me. This ice cream is marginally eggy, but I think that's only because I'm sensitive to it. 
I really like this ice cream. It's super rich, so you probably won't eat a LOT in one sitting--or you may want to use it as a topping for pie. I don't think I'm up for making a pie today, so I may try this in a root beer float or something. Like I really need that. Maybe I do need to make a pie and invite some people over. Let me think about that.

Vanilla Ice Cream
    --adapted from A Family Feast

Ingredients:

• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla paste or vanilla extract

Instructions:
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolks and set aside.
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, mix the milk, cream, and sugar. Stir mixture occasionally and cook until liquid is very hot, but not simmering or boiling.
While whisking the eggs, slowly whisk in one cup of the hot liquid. Be sure to whisk briskly so you don't cook the eggs and curdle them.
Whisk the egg/cream mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot liquid, whisking to combine. 
Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat, pour into a heat-proof bowl (preferably with a spout--something like a 2 quart measuring cup). Whisk in the vanilla paste/extract.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic is right up against the custard. Then press the ends of the plastic to the sides of the bowl.
Refrigerate the custard overnight (at least 8 hours) until very cold. 
Use an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to a plastic storage container and freeze. Freeze for about 1 hour for soft-serve ice cream, longer for firmer ice cream. Once it goes past 2 hours, though, it gets so firm you'll need to allow it to warm up on the counter for 10 minutes or so before scooping.
Makes about 1 quart of ice cream.

I am loving this vanilla paste. It's available online at AllSpice.com.

I had this bowl with Dove chocolate and toffee bits (see toffee recipe below).

English Toffee Bits

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup packed C & H Light Brown Sugar 
• 1/2 cup C & H White Sugar
• 1/2 cup butter

Directions
1. Line a square Pyrex pan (8X8) with parchment paper or non-stick foil. 
2. In a heavy saucepan heat butter and sugar to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil over medium heat until it reaches 300° on a candy thermometer. Pour into prepared pan and evenly spread with a silicone (not rubber) spatula. Allow to cool completely.
3. Break toffee up into big chunks with your hands and then on a clean cutting board, chop into smaller bits. Be sure to taste some to see if it's good.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups of toffee bits. Use the extra to make some toffee chocolate chip cookies or use as an ice cream topping. They'll keep in a zip top bag for a few weeks as long as you keep them in a cool, dry place.