Good Eats: The Final Years - Vanilla Ice Cream
Description: Alton Brown shares his recipe for "Good Eats 4: The Final Years" vanilla ice cream, including the importance of steeping the mixture. He details how to combine ingredients, cook the mixture, and then chill and churn it to achieve the perfect soft-serve consistency.
Ingredients
- 2 cups half & half
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tbsp. liquid pectin
- 2 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste
- 1/8 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Combine 1/4 cup of the sugar with the water in a small saucepan.
- Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the pectin and return to a full boil, stirring constantly for exactly 1 minute.
- Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 25 minutes.
- Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the half & half, heavy cream, salt, and vanilla bean paste in a medium saucepan.
- Place over medium heat and stir frequently until the mixture comes to 185°F (about 5-7 minutes).
- Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 20 minutes.
- Pour the cooled pectin mixture into the dairy mixture along with the remaining tablespoon of vanilla bean paste.
- Stir thoroughly.
- Chill the mixture in an airtight container for at least 6 hours, or preferably 24 hours.
- Assemble your ice cream churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Turn it on and pour in the chilled mixture.
- Churn the ice cream until it reaches a soft-serve consistency, 20-30 minutes depending on the ice cream maker.
- Transfer the mixture quickly to airtight containers.
- Freeze for at least a few hours, or preferably 24 hours, before serving.