More Ice Cream

As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of my goals for this year is to start baking and cooking with new ingredients. One ingredient I've really been wanting to try is vanilla beans, but they're always so expensive, especially when buying them from local stores. When beanilla recently had a sale on vanilla beans, I ordered a 10 pack each of Bourbon and Tahitian beans.

The first thing I tried making with these was vanilla bean ice cream. This used the same basic recipe as I used for peppermint ice cream, but I tried using half Splenda, half sugar. NOT recommended. The consistency of this ice cream was very weird and after freezing for several days, it was too hard to scoop, even after sitting out for a while. The recipe below is for the version using only sugar.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

3c heavy cream

3/4c sugar

pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean

3/4t vanilla extract

Pour 1c cream into a saucepan. Add the sugar and salt. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape the seeds into the saucepan. Add the pod to the pot.

Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove saucepan from heat and stir in remaining cream and the vanilla extract. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.

Remove vanilla bean pod. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the instructions.

Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container to store.

Once frozen solid, your ice cream is ready to enjoy! Try it plain, or add some toppings.

Ice Cream

I love peppermint flavored candy...candy canes are one of the many reasons I love Christmas. Ever since November, when I first started seeing candy canes in stores, I had been wanting to make peppermint ice cream. Unfortunately, I didn't get around to it until after Christmas, and couldn't find and good candy canes anywhere. Luckily the round mint candies and soft peppermint candies work just as well.

This recipe uses a basic vanilla ice cream recipe, modified to add peppermints. Try varying the ratio of cream to milk to reduce calories and fat, or using Splenda instead of sugar. Just keep in mind this will significantly change the consistency of the ice cream.

Since this recipe gets better with time, as the peppermint gets absorbed into the ice cream, make it several days before you need it and keep in an airtight container in the freezer.

Vanilla Mint Ice Cream

3c heavy cream

3/4c sugar

1 1/4t vanilla extract

3/4t mint extract

crushed peppermint pieces

Pour 1c cream in a saucepan. Add sugar and a pinch of salt. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and stir in remaining cream and vanilla. Add mint extract.

Chill in fridge until cool, about 1 hour.

Freeze according to directions of your ice cream maker. About 5 minutes before finished, add in peppermint pieces.

Transfer to an airtight container and freeze.