This classic vanilla ice cream recipe can easily be adapted to make three more delicious flavours, see recipes below. Using a vanilla pod will give your ice cream a flavour boost, but if you can't get hold of one, you can use good-quality vanilla bean paste instead.
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Yields:
1 L.
Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Cal/Serv:
230
Ingredients
1
vanilla pod (or 2tsp vanilla bean paste)
400ml
double cream
400ml
whole milk
4
large egg yolks
125g
caster sugar
Directions
For the Vanilla Ice Cream
Step 1Halve the vanilla pod lengthways (if using) and scrape out the seeds. Add seeds and pod to a large heavy-based pan with cream and milk (or add vanilla bean paste instead). Heat until bubbles appear around the edge. Remove pod (if used).
Step 2Meanwhile, beat yolks and sugar in a large bowl until pale. Gradually mix in hot cream mixture. Return to the pan. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring, until the custard thickens to coat the back of a spoon (do not overheat or it will scramble).
Step 3Pour into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and cool. Churn mixture in an ice cream machine until frozen. Empty into a freezer-proof container, cover, and freeze until solid.
For the Strawberry Ice Cream
Follow steps 1-3 of the Ultimate Vanilla recipe. Cook 600g chopped strawberries with 2tbsp strawberry jam in a pan over a medium heat until mushy. Whizz until smooth; cool. Stir into cooled custard, then strain the custard through a fine sieve and discard the strawberry seeds. Churn the mixture in an ice cream machine until frozen. Empty into a freezer-proof container, cover and freeze until solid. Makes about 1.3 litre PER SCOOP 150cals, 2g protein, 12g fat (7g saturates), 9g carbs (9g total sugars), 1g fibre
For the Double Chocolate Ice Cream
Follow steps 1-3 of the Ultimate Vanilla recipe, using 175g caster sugar and adding 1tbsp cornflour to the egg yolks and sugar. Mix 200g finely chopped dark chocolate into the hot custard, stirring to melt. Cover with clingfilm and cool. Churn mixture in an ice cream machine until frozen. Empty into a freezer-proof container and mix through 100g chopped dark chocolate. Cover and freeze until solid. Makes about 1.3 litre PER SCOOP 267cals, 3g protein, 19g fat (11g saturates), 22g carbs (21g total sugars), 1g fibre
For the Brown Butter Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Follow steps 1-3 of the Ultimate Vanilla recipe, using 200ml double cream and 600ml whole milk (note, the custard won’t thicken as much). Heat 50g unsalted butter in a pan, cooking (swirling pan frequently) until butter darkens to amber. Remove from heat and mix in 200g Carnation Caramel and 2tsp sea salt flakes. Mix of this into custard (reserve rest). Cover bowl and cool. Churn custard mixture in an ice cream machine until frozen. Empty into a freezer-proof container and marble through reserved salted caramel. Cover and freeze until solid. Makes about 1.3 litre PER SCOOP 165cals, 3g protein, 9g fat (5g saturates), 19g carbs (19g total sugars), 0g fibre
GET AHEAD: Make each flavour up to 1 month ahead. Store in the freezer.
Looking to buy and ice cream machine? Check out our GHI tested models.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
Alice Shields is Senior Cookery Writer for Good Housekeeping. A trained pastry chef, you’ll find her food styling on photo shoots, developing delicious recipes and writing about all things food. She loves to bake and her favourite pudding will always be a chocolate fondant. Originally hailing from Lancashire, she finally achieved her goal of getting a butter pie recipe into the magazine.
