vanilla ice cream, recipe request and questions

Here's my favorite vanilla ice cream recipe.

2 C half and half
1 vanilla bean
4 egg yolks
2/3 C sugar

Heat cream and vanilla bean to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let
sit 5 minutes. Remove bean and cut in half, scrape seeds from bean and
add to hot cream.

Beat egg yolks and sugar. Pour into half and half and cook over low
heat, whisking until thick. Set pan into bowl of ice water to cool.
Refrigerate at least one hour then pour into ice cream maker and freeze.

marcella

In article <[email hidden]>,

Scott said:

Hello. I just picked up some vanilla beans from Penzeys, and I was
wondering if anyone had a favorite bean-based vanilla ice cream recipe
they could share?

I'd heard that you should scrape the beans out, but then also cut the
hull in half and use it to flavor the simmering cream, removing the two
pieces before chilling. Most of the recipes I've seen don't call for
this (they just use the scraped out inside). Either way, I'd use the
hull for vanilla sugar (hopefully, I'll use that SOME day). Does also
using using the hull really add anything?

Also I was checking through the group archives, and I found the recipe
printed below. Why would it call for bringing the half-and-half to a
boil, then chilling it? I know some recipes call for scalding milk, but
this doesn't seem to be for that reason.

Scott said:

Also I was checking through the group archives, and I found the
recipe printed below. Why would it call for bringing the
half-and-half to a boil, then chilling it? I know some recipes call
for scalding milk, but this doesn't seem to be for that reason.

Because it's a custard-based recipe, and you need the hot liquid to
cook the eggs.

Brian

In article <[email hidden]>,

Default User said:

Because it's a custard-based recipe, and you need the hot liquid to
cook the eggs.

You didn't read the recipe instruction I asked about:
"In small heavy-bottomed saucepan slowly bring half-and-half to boil.
Place in refrigerator overnight, or chill in freezer briefly but do not
freeze."

Since the half-and-half is being heated then chilled without being used
in any other way, what's the point?

--
to respond (OT only), change "spamless.invalid" to "optonline.net"

<http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/>

On Mon 15 Aug 2005 11:47:59a, Scott wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Default User said:

Because it's a custard-based recipe, and you need the hot liquid to
cook the eggs.

You didn't read the recipe instruction I asked about:
"In small heavy-bottomed saucepan slowly bring half-and-half to boil.
Place in refrigerator overnight, or chill in freezer briefly but do not
freeze."

Since the half-and-half is being heated then chilled without being used
in any other way, what's the point?

I have to admit that I misread the recipe incorrectly the first time, too,
or I might have given the same answer. Dealing with two separate creams,
here, the half and half and the whipping cream. Since the half and half is
not being mixed with the eggs at that stage, there is absolutey no point in
scalding it first.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

Scott said:

Hello. I just picked up some vanilla beans from Penzeys, and I was
wondering if anyone had a favorite bean-based vanilla ice cream recipe
they could share?

I used the one that came with my Cuisinart ice cream maker:

Deluxe Vanilla Ice Cream

2 cups whipping cream
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons Vanilla extract
1/2 Vanilla pod

Put the milk and cream into a large sauce pan along with the vanilla bean
over medium heat, stirring occasionally until scalded. Remove the vanilla
pod, slit it open and scrap out the seeds. Add the seeds to the milk
mixture.

Beat egg yolks, sugar and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy.
Slowly pour scaled milk into the egg mixture,, stirring constantly to
temper the eggs, then add the egg mixture to the scaled milk. Stir
constantly over low heat for about four minutes or until the custard coats
the back of a spoon. Allow to cool and then refrigerate over night before
going into the freezer unit.

Wayne Boatwright said:

On Mon 15 Aug 2005 11:47:59a, Scott wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Default User said:

Because it's a custard-based recipe, and you need the hot liquid to
cook the eggs.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Since the half-and-half is being heated then chilled without being
used in any other way, what's the point?

I have to admit that I misread the recipe incorrectly the first time,
too, or I might have given the same answer. Dealing with two
separate creams, here, the half and half and the whipping cream.
Since the half and half is not being mixed with the eggs at that
stage, there is absolutey no point in scalding it first.

Oh. Oops. In that case I don't know for sure what the purpose is.
Scalding does change the character of milk or cream somewhat, but I
wouldn't think it that important as to go through an extra step.

Brian

Scott said:

You didn't read the recipe instruction I asked about:
"In small heavy-bottomed saucepan slowly bring half-and-half to boil.
Place in refrigerator overnight, or chill in freezer briefly but do not
freeze."

Since the half-and-half is being heated then chilled without being used
in any other way, what's the point?

That sounds like an unnecessary step. You certainly can't dump the egg
yolks into the hot milk/cream because they will turn into scrambled egg
yolk. Instead, you temper the beaten yolks by pouring the hot liquid slowly
into the eggs while stirring.

Milk contains enzymes that interfere with thickening. That may not be a
problem with pasteurized milk since it has already been heated enough to
destroy those enzymes, and all milk available commercially has been
pasteurized. If you should ever try to make a custard type dish with egg
and non pasteurized milk, then you will definitely need to scald it first.

I always scald the milk when I make ice cream. I guess it is a force of
habit enforced by the recipe. I have to heat the stuff anyway. If I make
good vanilla I stick the vanilla bean in the milk while it is heating. If I
am making chocolate, I am chopping up the chocolate while the milk is
heating.