Vanilla Ice Cream, Philadelphia-Style

Vanilla Ice Cream, Philadelphia-Style

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 Quart
3 cups heavy cream or 2 cups heavy cream and 

   1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Pour 1 cup of the cream into a medium saucepan and add the sugar and salt.  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan and add the pod to the pot.  Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 cups cream or 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup milk and the vanilla extract.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.  When ready to churn, remove the vanilla bean, rinsing and reserving it for another use and then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacture's instructions. 

To Make Chocolate-Ripple Ice Cream, layer 1 cup each Fudge Ripple and Salted Butter Caramel Sauce into the just churned custard.

Fudge Ripple:  

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup water

6 Tablespoons unsweetened Dutch Process Cocoa   

   Powder

Whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges.

Continue to whisk until it just comes to a boil.  Cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently.  Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool.  Chill in the refrigerator before using.

Mixing it in:  The Fudge-Ripple should be thoroughly chilled, as it is easiest to use when very cold.  Just beforee you remove the ice cream from the machine, spoon some of the fudge ripple onto the bottom of the storage container.  As you remove the ice cream from the machine, layer generous spoonfuls of the sauce between layers of ice cream.  Avoid stirring the Fudge Ripple, as it will make the ice cream muddy looking.

Mocha Ripple: Substitute strongly brewed espresso for the water in the recipe, or stir in 1 tablespoon of best quality instant coffee granules after you boil the mixture.

Salted Butter Caramel Sauce:

6 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt  (fleur de sel)

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-duty saucepan or dutch oven.  Stir in the sugar and cook, stirring frequently until the sugar is a deep golden brown and starts to smoke.

Remove from the heat and immediately stir in half of the cream and stir until smooth (wear an oven mitt since the mixture will steam and splatter and may bubble up furiously.)  Stir in the rest of the cream, then add the vanilla and salt.  If there are any lumps of caramel, whisk the sauce of a low-heat until they're dissolved.  Serve warm. 

The Perfect Scoop  pg. 25