Monday, September 27, 2010

Brown Sugar Vanilla Ice Cream


Happy Monday, everyone!

Today I have a wonderful vanilla treat for you. While some think vanilla is synonymous with plain or generic, I think it is marvelous, particularly in the form of a well crafted vanilla ice cream. When I tasted today's dessert, I was smitten.

The ice cream has an absolutely luxurious mouth feel, one that the recipe's author credits to the use of dry milk powder. It is so amazing that I am tempted to start incorporating the use of a small amount of milk powder into all of my ice creams. The custard and vanilla will remind you of an excellent french vanilla ice cream but the addition of brown sugar sets it apart, giving the ice cream character and richness.



The ice cream is perfect, unadorned by the bowlful. It also pairs wonderfully with fall pies, between chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies, or in just about any situation where a good vanilla ice cream is needed.


So... do also have some news for my readers.

To Bonny, Cynthia and Linda who guessed my scatterbrained kitchen antics last week might be due to a pregnancy, well... you're right. It came as quite the surprise to everyone involved but yes, I am expecting another little Humble in roughly 7 months.

Like many expecting mothers, I'm tired and experiencing more than my fair share of pregnancy induced absent mindedness. This means I'm not quite as handy in the kitchen I usually am.

I was whipping up individual raspberry gâteau st. honoré pastries last night, and while each component came together without issue, I ran out of steam after the marathon of choux, puff pastry, and raspberry pastry and diplomat cream. The final assembly was, quite frankly, sub-par. Like a biscuit colored Furby dipped in pink glaze. Horrific.

Alright, let's get down to this ice cream I'm so enamored with...




Brown Sugar Vanilla Ice Cream
from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book
yields one scant quart

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup firmly packed golden or light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dry skim milk powder
5 large egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean bean, split and scraped, reserving seeds and pod
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Prepare a bain-marie by gathering a large pot and a heat-proof bowl. Fill the pot with several inches of water, taking care that the water level isn't so high that it touches the bottom of the bow. While the water is heating, combine all of the ingredients in your heat proof bowl. Whisk together the ingredients until completely combined.

Place the bowl over the pot of water and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly until the custard reaches 180-185°F or is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.



Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, removing the vanilla bean and any undesirable egg bits. Place the mixture into an ice bath to cool and then refrigerate, covered, until very cold (at least 4 hours or overnight).


Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.


Transfer the soft, fresh churned ice cream to a container and freeze.


After four hours, or an overnight in the freezer, the ice cream will be firm enough to scoop and serve.

Enjoy! (With or without pickles)

46 comments:

  1. Congratulations! Soon, we'll hear the pitter-patter of other little Humble feet.

    I always craved mint patties while pregnant.....

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  2. HA! I was guessing that too but did not feel it appropriate to ask since we hardly know each other... :o)

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  3. Congratulations! and dang but that ice cream sounds good right now!

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  4. It looks wonderful! Just out of curiosity, what kind of ice cream maker do you use? From the photos, it looks like it's a Cuisinart.

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  5. Congrats! The ice cream sounds divine.

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  6. Congratulations on the impending arrival of the newest Little Humble! And that ice cream looks amazing!

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  7. Congratulations on your newest blessing! I just discovered your blog, and it's wonderful. I'm glad you'll be keeping it up, even if you are cutting back a wee bit.

    I love the idea of brown sugar in vanilla ice cream (personally, a plain dish of vanilla is my favorite). Brown sugar anything, really.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Btw, I too am a Seattle mom, an artist (actress and writer) turned homemaker. It's nice to have a friendly, neighborly "face" here online. :-)

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  8. Concratiolation! Can't wait to see what recipes you'll come up with... maybe cucumber vanilla pudding?

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  9. Congratulations! I was wondering myself if babies might be the reason for your poor luck in the kitchen.What fun! I've found pregnancy turns me into a baking fiend so perhaps it will get less hazardous for you in the 2nd trimester.

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  10. Congrats! How exiciting!

    This ice-cream sounds amazing, thanks for sharing. I can't wait to try it.

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  11. Congrats on the new baby :D

    thanks for sharing this recipe too :D

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  13. Congrats!!!

    That ice cream sounds delicious - definitely trying it out this weekend...if I can figure out where I stashed my ice cream maker in the move

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  14. Oooh! How lovely! I am so excited for you. I hope that you have a wonderful pregnancy. It must be a little girl if the rhyme is anything to go by - sugar and spice and all things nice...

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  15. Congratulations on the newest little addition to your family! That is so exciting!

    The ice cream looks completely delicious! It's strange but wintertime is when I want to make things like ice cream and popsicles. Come January, I'm going to be giving this recipe a try!

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  16. Too true about good vanilla ice cream (or anything, really). Vanilla is not plain, and good vanilla is the best flavor out there.

    So, I tend to really love vanilla ice creams that still have the tiny bits of beat all through the ice cream. How would you handle that? not strain it, and just pick out the big bean piece? some other method?

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  17. sooo happy for you…& your new schedule is JUST PERFECT!

    so…ms. h…how can we have a "virtual" baby shower for you?…
    it would be such fun & no work for you…
    ms. humble's sugar cookie cut outs for onesies…anyone?

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  18. I knew it. Grandmothers can spot this a mile away, LOL. Congratulations! I have a new grandchild due in April too.
    I lived not too far from you on Capitol Hill for 9 years; Seattle is a great place to have children. Kite-flying hill, Discovery Park, the wading pool... Such fun. And the second one is easier.

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  19. Congratulations! I credit being scattered brained with early discovery of my first pregnancy. When my OB/Gyn told me I wasn't pregnant, my mother after listening to my stories about being scattered brained,told me to change OBs, because I diffidently was. Many blessing to you.

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  20. Congratulations! What an exciting announcement! I hope your little one enjoys this ice cream, too!

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  21. Congratulations!! No one will mind the new schedule :)

    I already have this cookbook so I'll get right onto making it!!

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  22. Congratulations! Hope you have a great pregnancy! I am due ANY day now and your blog has been like porn for pregnant ladies for me!

    I LOVE brown sugar in ice cream- I have a great recipe for banana ice cream using brown sugar- so delish! I actually use it for quite a few flavors (cinnamon ice cream as well).

    My nesting instinct is in full swing right now, so back to making the Fleur de Sel Caramel apples I was working on! :)

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  23. congratulations!!!! and the recipe looks amazing! I really need to take my ice cream maker out and make some ice cream before winter rolls around again!

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  24. Congratulations and a forwarded boingboing thingy - I know they've mentioned you so you probably follow them just fine on your own, but today's post about some ikea fellow's meticulous art portraits of baked-goods' ingredients made me think of you.

    http://www.carlkleiner.com/

    Of particular interest was photo 20, which I believe was a photo of the ingredients for princess cake.

    -rp

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  25. Commiserations on the onset of "Mommy brain", but congratulations on the upcoming Humble!

    Drowning in excess salivation at the ice-cream ...

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  26. so you are baking a brand new baby Humble...how exciting! Get plenty of rest, you spoiled us by posting 3x a week the new schedule will be perfect. Today I will be dusting off the knitting needles...congrats!!!

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  27. Congratulations, Miss Humble! Welcome to the preggosphere again! I'm expecting Little Stovetop in March and am so glad the days of unending sickness are now finally over :)

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  28. Oh and do please tell how little Miss Humble is taking the news of a new sibling? :)

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  29. Congratulations! That's so awesome! I'm so happy for you. I'd also love to hear how little miss humble is taking the news. This ice cream looks to die for! Vanilla might be plain but its certainly not boring.

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  30. Has anyone made a joke about having a bun in the oven yet? Many congratulations, and thanks for your wonderful blog.

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  31. Ice cream is my favorite dessert. I want to make it at every second. Thanks for this recipe, the way you explain seems so easy always!

    -Amalia

    http://buttersweetmelody.wordpress.com

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  32. Hearty congratulations! Best wishes for your family. Another little Humble taste-tester to come. I'll be making this ice cream soon in the little one's happiness!

    Kate

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  33. Congrats on the new arrival! You reminded me of my mother when she was expecting, so I'm over the moon for you!

    Mmm this looks delicious! I must say that I'm dying to try out some of your ice cream recipes even though fall is fast approaching. Also, do you mind sharing what kind of ice cream maker you own? My guess is a Cuisinart but I'm on the prowl for a good one and am curious about your. Thanks!

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  34. Posting from my phone so I can't address all the comments but thank you, everyone for all the kind words.

    As for the ice-cream maker, it is the basic white Cuisinart model.

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  35. congratulations! that's great news, I'm delighted for you! Can't wait to try out the ice cream too

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  36. Wowie! Congrats! I have a 6 month old and a 21 month old, and I am DONE. Such exciting news and I hope you cook that baby up and it comes out as perfect as all your blog posts!

    I run two businesses from home and stay here with the kids most days - it gets crazy. Don't even worry about the blogging. We will miss 3 posts a week, but pregnancy is incredibly hard work and you deserve a break!!

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  37. Oooooh, that looks so good! I'll have to try this next time I get struck by the desire to make/eat ice-cream. Congratulations on the newest Little Humble :)

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  38. Congratulations! That's awesome news (I'm pregnant too, and still in the crying/puking stage so hearing about another pregnant lady has made me tear up slightly, especially as we're probably due around the same time (early May for me)).

    I second the call for a virtual shower! You give us so much time and attention through this blog - what can we give back?

    Recipes? Stories about cravings?

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  39. I love the idea of making this with brown sugar. Fantastic!

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  40. Congratulations! Looking forward to some months of new flavour combinations :)

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  41. hope everything is okay, i am sending love and wishes......

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  42. oh, this is such a good ice cream-- i've made it several times (and have used the milk powder trick in other recipes as well). congratulations on your happy news!

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  43. I have a question.. are you using instant milk power or non-instant milk powder..

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  44. I believe it is instant milk powder. I don't believe I have ever encountered non-instant powder... does one cook it?

    Quick update! Still out of the kitchen, I haven't attempted cooking in weeks. I've been 'enjoying' some rather extreme nausea at the sight of just about everything edible. What I do manage to eat is the blandest of the bland and usually not even cooked by yours truly (Thank goodness for my local PCC deli). Sweets are unfortunately just repulsive now.

    This pregnancy has turned a cooking fiend into a microwave maven. My shopping trips are absolutely humiliating, there is barely a fresh ingredient in my cart. I can't even look the check-out clerk in the eyes.

    Hopefully this food aversion passes as I enter the second trimester.

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